"To learn how to speak": a study of Jeremy Cronin's poetry
- Authors: Pinnock, William
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Poets, South African , Historical materialism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8484 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021038
- Description: In the chapters that follow, the porous boundary between the public and the private in Jeremy Cronin’s poetry is investigated in his three collections, Inside (1983), Even the Dead: Poems, Parables and a Jeremiad (1996) and More Than a Casual Contact (2006). I argue two particular Marxist theorists are central to reading Cronin’s poetry: Bertolt Brecht, and his notion of the Verfremdungseffekt, and Walter Benjamin and his work on historical materialism, primarily the essay On the Concept of History / Theses on the Philosophy of History (1940). Both theorists focus on the work of art in a historically contextualized manner, which extends the challenge to the boundary between the public and the private. Their work is underpinned by the desire to draw out hidden narratives occluded under the grand narratives of history and capitalist ideas of progress. I argue that these are the major preoccupations in Cronin’s oeuvre as well. As such Cronin’s poetry may be seen to write against a perspective that proposes a linear conceptualisation of history. The poetry therefore challenges the notion that art speaks of ‘universal truths.’ Such ideas of History and Truth, if viewed uncritically, allow for a tendency to conceive of the past as unchanging, which subconsciously promotes the idea that social and political realities are merely logical evolutionary steps. I argue that Cronin’s poetry is thus purposefully interruptive in the way that it confronts the damaging consequences of the linear conceptualisation of history and the universal truth it promotes. His work attempts to find new ways of connection and expression through learning from South Africa’s violent past. The significance of understanding each other and the historical environment as opposed to imposing perspectives that underwrite the symbolic order requires the transformation rather than the simple transferral of power, and is a central focus throughout Cronin’s oeuvre. This position suggests that while the struggle for political freedom may be over, the necessity to rethink how South Africans relate to each other is only beginning. Chapter One will focus on positioning Cronin, the poet and public figure, in South African literature and literary criticism. In this regard, two general trends have operated as critical paradigms in the study of South African poetry, namely Formalism (or ‘prac crit’) and a Marxist inflected materialism, which have in many ways perpetuated the division between the private and the public. This has resulted in poetry being read with an exclusive focus on either one of these two aspects, overlooking the possibilities of dialogue that may take place between them. Cronin’s perspective on these polarised responses will be discussed, which will illustrate the similarity of his position to Ndebele’s notion of the ‘ordinary’ which suggests a way beyond these binaries. This will lead to a discussion of how South African poets responded to the transition phase, suggesting that the elements of the polarisation still remained. Considering the major influences and paradigms when reading Cronin’s oeuvre provides a foundation for the following three chapters. These include Cronin’s use of Romanticism, Bertolt Brecht and the V-Effekt and Walter Benjamin’s perspectives on historical materialism. In addition to these three theoretical paradigms, the relevance of Pablo Neruda’s poetry to Cronin’s work is also foregrounded. In Chapter Two, the focus will be on Cronin’s first collection of poetry, Inside, concentrating on Cronin’s use of language as a way of constructing poetry in the sparseness of the prison experience. This will show an abiding preoccupation of learning to speak in a language that considers the material context out of which it emerges. In this regard, the poems “Poem-Shrike” “Prologue” and “Cave-site” are analysed. In addition, one of the central poems in Cronin’s oeuvre, “To learn how to speak […],” will be examined in order to illustrate how the poet extends this project on a meta-poetic level, asking for South African poets to ‘learn how to speak’ in the voices of South African experience and histories. I will show how this is linked to Cronin’s “Walking on Air” which illustrates how the V-Effeckt recovers the small private histories through re-telling the life story of James Matthews, a fellow prisoner incarcerated for his anti-apartheid activism, revealing how this story is intimately connected to the public sphere. In Chapter Three, Cronin’s second collection: Even the Dead: Poems, Parables and a Jeremiad will be examined. In the poem “Three Reasons for a Mixed, Umrabulo, Round-the-Corner Poetry” Cronin resists inherited Western poetic conventions by incorporating and subverting versions of the Romantic aesthetic, arguing for poetry to be immersed in South African multi-lingual and multi-cultural experiences. “Even the Dead” reveals how Cronin uses Walter Benjamin’s perspectives on historical materialism to confront amnesia. In terms of the themes established in “To learn how to speak […]”, the poem “Moorage” demonstrates how the public and private can never be separated in Cronin’s work. The final section of this chapter will examine how Cronin responds to Pablo Neruda’s poems “I am explaining a few things” and “The Education of a Chieftain,” and how these poems challenge narratives that privilege the ‘great leader’ instead of the so-called smaller individuals’ stories. Chapter Four examines selections from Cronin’s third collection, focusing on Cronin’s use of the automobile, charting an ambiguous trajectory through the ‘new’ South Africa. The examination of the poems “Where to begin?”, “Switchback” and “End of the century - which is why wipers,” all attempt to include individuals left on the margins of the narrative of global freeways and neo-liberal capitalist progress. The poems present an interrogation of how ‘vision’ is constructed. This will show that the poetry responds to the experiences of the marginalised under these grand narratives in a primarily fragmentary and interruptive manner. This in effect constitutes the culmination of Cronin’s poetic journey and the search for new ways of envisaging South Africa’s future and finding a new language with which to speak it.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Pinnock, William
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Poets, South African , Historical materialism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8484 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021038
- Description: In the chapters that follow, the porous boundary between the public and the private in Jeremy Cronin’s poetry is investigated in his three collections, Inside (1983), Even the Dead: Poems, Parables and a Jeremiad (1996) and More Than a Casual Contact (2006). I argue two particular Marxist theorists are central to reading Cronin’s poetry: Bertolt Brecht, and his notion of the Verfremdungseffekt, and Walter Benjamin and his work on historical materialism, primarily the essay On the Concept of History / Theses on the Philosophy of History (1940). Both theorists focus on the work of art in a historically contextualized manner, which extends the challenge to the boundary between the public and the private. Their work is underpinned by the desire to draw out hidden narratives occluded under the grand narratives of history and capitalist ideas of progress. I argue that these are the major preoccupations in Cronin’s oeuvre as well. As such Cronin’s poetry may be seen to write against a perspective that proposes a linear conceptualisation of history. The poetry therefore challenges the notion that art speaks of ‘universal truths.’ Such ideas of History and Truth, if viewed uncritically, allow for a tendency to conceive of the past as unchanging, which subconsciously promotes the idea that social and political realities are merely logical evolutionary steps. I argue that Cronin’s poetry is thus purposefully interruptive in the way that it confronts the damaging consequences of the linear conceptualisation of history and the universal truth it promotes. His work attempts to find new ways of connection and expression through learning from South Africa’s violent past. The significance of understanding each other and the historical environment as opposed to imposing perspectives that underwrite the symbolic order requires the transformation rather than the simple transferral of power, and is a central focus throughout Cronin’s oeuvre. This position suggests that while the struggle for political freedom may be over, the necessity to rethink how South Africans relate to each other is only beginning. Chapter One will focus on positioning Cronin, the poet and public figure, in South African literature and literary criticism. In this regard, two general trends have operated as critical paradigms in the study of South African poetry, namely Formalism (or ‘prac crit’) and a Marxist inflected materialism, which have in many ways perpetuated the division between the private and the public. This has resulted in poetry being read with an exclusive focus on either one of these two aspects, overlooking the possibilities of dialogue that may take place between them. Cronin’s perspective on these polarised responses will be discussed, which will illustrate the similarity of his position to Ndebele’s notion of the ‘ordinary’ which suggests a way beyond these binaries. This will lead to a discussion of how South African poets responded to the transition phase, suggesting that the elements of the polarisation still remained. Considering the major influences and paradigms when reading Cronin’s oeuvre provides a foundation for the following three chapters. These include Cronin’s use of Romanticism, Bertolt Brecht and the V-Effekt and Walter Benjamin’s perspectives on historical materialism. In addition to these three theoretical paradigms, the relevance of Pablo Neruda’s poetry to Cronin’s work is also foregrounded. In Chapter Two, the focus will be on Cronin’s first collection of poetry, Inside, concentrating on Cronin’s use of language as a way of constructing poetry in the sparseness of the prison experience. This will show an abiding preoccupation of learning to speak in a language that considers the material context out of which it emerges. In this regard, the poems “Poem-Shrike” “Prologue” and “Cave-site” are analysed. In addition, one of the central poems in Cronin’s oeuvre, “To learn how to speak […],” will be examined in order to illustrate how the poet extends this project on a meta-poetic level, asking for South African poets to ‘learn how to speak’ in the voices of South African experience and histories. I will show how this is linked to Cronin’s “Walking on Air” which illustrates how the V-Effeckt recovers the small private histories through re-telling the life story of James Matthews, a fellow prisoner incarcerated for his anti-apartheid activism, revealing how this story is intimately connected to the public sphere. In Chapter Three, Cronin’s second collection: Even the Dead: Poems, Parables and a Jeremiad will be examined. In the poem “Three Reasons for a Mixed, Umrabulo, Round-the-Corner Poetry” Cronin resists inherited Western poetic conventions by incorporating and subverting versions of the Romantic aesthetic, arguing for poetry to be immersed in South African multi-lingual and multi-cultural experiences. “Even the Dead” reveals how Cronin uses Walter Benjamin’s perspectives on historical materialism to confront amnesia. In terms of the themes established in “To learn how to speak […]”, the poem “Moorage” demonstrates how the public and private can never be separated in Cronin’s work. The final section of this chapter will examine how Cronin responds to Pablo Neruda’s poems “I am explaining a few things” and “The Education of a Chieftain,” and how these poems challenge narratives that privilege the ‘great leader’ instead of the so-called smaller individuals’ stories. Chapter Four examines selections from Cronin’s third collection, focusing on Cronin’s use of the automobile, charting an ambiguous trajectory through the ‘new’ South Africa. The examination of the poems “Where to begin?”, “Switchback” and “End of the century - which is why wipers,” all attempt to include individuals left on the margins of the narrative of global freeways and neo-liberal capitalist progress. The poems present an interrogation of how ‘vision’ is constructed. This will show that the poetry responds to the experiences of the marginalised under these grand narratives in a primarily fragmentary and interruptive manner. This in effect constitutes the culmination of Cronin’s poetic journey and the search for new ways of envisaging South Africa’s future and finding a new language with which to speak it.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
(De)constructing the archive : an annotated catalog of the Deon van der Walt Collection in the NMMU Library
- Authors: Buys, Frederick Jacobus
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Music -- Bibliography -- Catalogs , Archives -- Catalogs , Tenors (Singers) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8526 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020585
- Description: Deon van der Walt was, at the height of his career, considered the leading lyric tenor of his generation. In a career that spanned more than 25 years he performed in the great opera houses of the world and sang for the leading conductors of the time, sharing the stage with the best singers in the world. He was the first male South African to accomplish the so-called “grand slam” of opera, having sung in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London), Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna), La Scala (Milan) and the Metropolitan Opera House (New York). He was also a prolific oratorio and lieder singer, collaborating with the best artists the musical world had to offer. In addition he left a large recorded legacy, both published and unpublished. His untimely death on 29 November 2005 was extensively reported on both locally and abroad - a fact which again highlighted the importance of his personal and professional contribution to the international opera world.The Deon van der Walt Collection is the single most important key to unlocking the life and career of one of the most successful South African opera singers of all time. It was bequeathed to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Library the Deon van der Walt Trust in 2007. The collection is made up of an arbitrary assortment of books, documents, sound and video recordings that were left in van der Walt’s Zürich accommodations at the time of his death in 2005. It is housed in separate section on the lower level of the South Campus Library of the NMMU. The collection has been partially catalogued by the NMMU Library but left largely unattended for the last 6 years. The compiling of an annotated catalogue of this collection is the vital first step in connecting the dots of an extraordinary musical career that was hailed as one of the greatest of his time.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Buys, Frederick Jacobus
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Music -- Bibliography -- Catalogs , Archives -- Catalogs , Tenors (Singers) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8526 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020585
- Description: Deon van der Walt was, at the height of his career, considered the leading lyric tenor of his generation. In a career that spanned more than 25 years he performed in the great opera houses of the world and sang for the leading conductors of the time, sharing the stage with the best singers in the world. He was the first male South African to accomplish the so-called “grand slam” of opera, having sung in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London), Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna), La Scala (Milan) and the Metropolitan Opera House (New York). He was also a prolific oratorio and lieder singer, collaborating with the best artists the musical world had to offer. In addition he left a large recorded legacy, both published and unpublished. His untimely death on 29 November 2005 was extensively reported on both locally and abroad - a fact which again highlighted the importance of his personal and professional contribution to the international opera world.The Deon van der Walt Collection is the single most important key to unlocking the life and career of one of the most successful South African opera singers of all time. It was bequeathed to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Library the Deon van der Walt Trust in 2007. The collection is made up of an arbitrary assortment of books, documents, sound and video recordings that were left in van der Walt’s Zürich accommodations at the time of his death in 2005. It is housed in separate section on the lower level of the South Campus Library of the NMMU. The collection has been partially catalogued by the NMMU Library but left largely unattended for the last 6 years. The compiling of an annotated catalogue of this collection is the vital first step in connecting the dots of an extraordinary musical career that was hailed as one of the greatest of his time.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A best practice guideline for patient-centred care in public hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay
- Authors: Jardien-Baboo, Sihaam
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Patient-centered health care -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Evidence-based medicine -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Public health nurses -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Public hospitals -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:10063 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020370
- Description: In South Africa, the quality of health care is directly related to the concept of patient-centred care and the enactment of the Batho Pele Principles and the Patients’ Rights Charter. The quality of health care delivery has dropped drastically, and reports in the media indicate that public hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province are on the brink of collapse, with thousands of patients being treated in condemned hospitals. Receiving and rendering health care in the face of such challenges, the question arose: “Are patients receiving patient-centred care in public hospitals?” The answer to this rhetorical inquiry appeared to be obvious, but this research study explored and described professional nurses’ perceptions of patient-centred care in public hospitals and their understanding of evidence-based practice and best practice guidelines. The proposed study followed a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design. The research population included professional nurses who are employed in public hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay, and consisted of nurse managers and nurses who work in the wards. The research study consisted of three phases. In Phase 1, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with nurse managers and professional nurses working in the wards in order to collect data about their perceptions of patient-centred care and their understanding of evidence-based practice and best practice guidelines. The interviews were transcribed and Tesch’s eight steps of data analysis were followed to create meaning from the data collected. Themes were identified and grouped together to form new categories. The researcher ensured the validity of the study by conforming to Lincoln and Guba’s model of trustworthiness, which consists of the following four constructs: credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. An independent coder assisted with the coding process. In Phase 2, an integrative literature review was conducted in order to identify previous guidelines regarding best practice for patient-centred care. Relevant guidelines were selected, critically appraised, data was extracted and synthesised for the development of a best practice guideline for patient-centred care. An independent appraiser critically appraised the guidelines, thereby ensuring trustworthiness. In Phase 3, the data in Phase 1 and Phase 2 were integrated to formulate a draft best practice guideline for patient-centred care. The guideline was submitted to an expert panel for review and was modified according to the recommendations of the panel, whereby the best practice guideline for patient-centred care in public hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay was finalized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Jardien-Baboo, Sihaam
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Patient-centered health care -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Evidence-based medicine -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Public health nurses -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Public hospitals -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:10063 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020370
- Description: In South Africa, the quality of health care is directly related to the concept of patient-centred care and the enactment of the Batho Pele Principles and the Patients’ Rights Charter. The quality of health care delivery has dropped drastically, and reports in the media indicate that public hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province are on the brink of collapse, with thousands of patients being treated in condemned hospitals. Receiving and rendering health care in the face of such challenges, the question arose: “Are patients receiving patient-centred care in public hospitals?” The answer to this rhetorical inquiry appeared to be obvious, but this research study explored and described professional nurses’ perceptions of patient-centred care in public hospitals and their understanding of evidence-based practice and best practice guidelines. The proposed study followed a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design. The research population included professional nurses who are employed in public hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay, and consisted of nurse managers and nurses who work in the wards. The research study consisted of three phases. In Phase 1, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with nurse managers and professional nurses working in the wards in order to collect data about their perceptions of patient-centred care and their understanding of evidence-based practice and best practice guidelines. The interviews were transcribed and Tesch’s eight steps of data analysis were followed to create meaning from the data collected. Themes were identified and grouped together to form new categories. The researcher ensured the validity of the study by conforming to Lincoln and Guba’s model of trustworthiness, which consists of the following four constructs: credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. An independent coder assisted with the coding process. In Phase 2, an integrative literature review was conducted in order to identify previous guidelines regarding best practice for patient-centred care. Relevant guidelines were selected, critically appraised, data was extracted and synthesised for the development of a best practice guideline for patient-centred care. An independent appraiser critically appraised the guidelines, thereby ensuring trustworthiness. In Phase 3, the data in Phase 1 and Phase 2 were integrated to formulate a draft best practice guideline for patient-centred care. The guideline was submitted to an expert panel for review and was modified according to the recommendations of the panel, whereby the best practice guideline for patient-centred care in public hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay was finalized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A case study of child-centred play therapy with a child suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder
- Authors: Nyanga, Kanyisa
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Play therapy , Post-traumatic stress disorder in children
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8802 , vital:26431
- Description: Child-centred play therapy is not the preferred treatment approach for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), because of the limited research demonstrating this treatment as a proper approach for childhood trauma. The purpose of this case study was to explore and describe the process of child-centred therapy with a four-year-old child with PTSD. An exploratory descriptive case study approach was utilised as it allowed for an in-depth description of a phenomenon in its therapeutic context. Data was collected through multiple sources to establish a comprehensive database. The data was analysed through Alexander’s content analysis and Guba’s model of trustworthiness. Findings included themes observed in the research participant dealing with PTSD of perfectionism, control, shame, mistrust, needing control, and perfectionism. The therapist’s application of Axline’s principles indicated these principles being enough for treating PTSD in a child. Some of those principles had immediate impact while others were cumulative in their effect.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A case study of child-centred play therapy with a child suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder
- Authors: Nyanga, Kanyisa
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Play therapy , Post-traumatic stress disorder in children
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8802 , vital:26431
- Description: Child-centred play therapy is not the preferred treatment approach for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), because of the limited research demonstrating this treatment as a proper approach for childhood trauma. The purpose of this case study was to explore and describe the process of child-centred therapy with a four-year-old child with PTSD. An exploratory descriptive case study approach was utilised as it allowed for an in-depth description of a phenomenon in its therapeutic context. Data was collected through multiple sources to establish a comprehensive database. The data was analysed through Alexander’s content analysis and Guba’s model of trustworthiness. Findings included themes observed in the research participant dealing with PTSD of perfectionism, control, shame, mistrust, needing control, and perfectionism. The therapist’s application of Axline’s principles indicated these principles being enough for treating PTSD in a child. Some of those principles had immediate impact while others were cumulative in their effect.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A case study of the high student failure and dropout rates at FET college
- Authors: Cain, Rashida
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: College dropouts -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies , School failure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Education and training services industry -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9439 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020998
- Description: The aim of this case study was to investigate the key factors contributing to the high failure and high dropout rates at a FET College. The FET College selected for the purpose of this study is situated in a city in the Eastern Cape. The Minister of Labour declared in 2006 that FET Colleges in South Africa have a central role to play in assisting youth in gaining skills, in order to realise the South African Government’s goal of halving poverty and unemployment by 2014. The South African Government spent R1.9 million on the recapitalisation of colleges in 2005 to improve the FET Sector. According to the Green Paper (DHET, 2012), the FET College sector is weak and the throughput rate of the 2007 NC (V) cohort nationally was 4 percent and the dropout rate between 13 percent and 25 percent. The average pass rate for the successful completion of NC (V) students at FET Colleges in the Eastern Cape was 12 percent for 2007. The research design selected for this study was an explanatory intrinsic case study of a qualitative nature, with the aim to provide a comprehensive depiction of the case. Data was gathered from various sources and at different stages at the particular college campus. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and document interrogations were employed to gather descriptive qualitative data. Demographic information on the students who had dropped out assisted in the profiling of students at risk of dropping out of college. The findings derived from the data showed that multiple factors caused the high student dropout and failure rates, prominent among which was a lack of finances, impacting on accommodation and transport, which in turn impacted on student attendance. A lack of motivation and commitment from students seemed to further contribute to the high student failure and dropout rates. In addition, the students’ perceptions and expectations of the FET College, the barriers to academic success and views about support services were explored. Finally, the present circumstances and plans of students who had dropped out were investigated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Cain, Rashida
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: College dropouts -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies , School failure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Education and training services industry -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9439 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020998
- Description: The aim of this case study was to investigate the key factors contributing to the high failure and high dropout rates at a FET College. The FET College selected for the purpose of this study is situated in a city in the Eastern Cape. The Minister of Labour declared in 2006 that FET Colleges in South Africa have a central role to play in assisting youth in gaining skills, in order to realise the South African Government’s goal of halving poverty and unemployment by 2014. The South African Government spent R1.9 million on the recapitalisation of colleges in 2005 to improve the FET Sector. According to the Green Paper (DHET, 2012), the FET College sector is weak and the throughput rate of the 2007 NC (V) cohort nationally was 4 percent and the dropout rate between 13 percent and 25 percent. The average pass rate for the successful completion of NC (V) students at FET Colleges in the Eastern Cape was 12 percent for 2007. The research design selected for this study was an explanatory intrinsic case study of a qualitative nature, with the aim to provide a comprehensive depiction of the case. Data was gathered from various sources and at different stages at the particular college campus. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and document interrogations were employed to gather descriptive qualitative data. Demographic information on the students who had dropped out assisted in the profiling of students at risk of dropping out of college. The findings derived from the data showed that multiple factors caused the high student dropout and failure rates, prominent among which was a lack of finances, impacting on accommodation and transport, which in turn impacted on student attendance. A lack of motivation and commitment from students seemed to further contribute to the high student failure and dropout rates. In addition, the students’ perceptions and expectations of the FET College, the barriers to academic success and views about support services were explored. Finally, the present circumstances and plans of students who had dropped out were investigated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A case study on the role of excel as a teaching and learning tool in influencing learners' interpretation of functions
- Authors: Zakumba, Lwazi Xolisile
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Microsoft Excel (Computer file) , Computer-assisted instruction , Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9455 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018756
- Description: The aim of this study was to investigate the role Excel could play in influencing Mathematics and Mathematical literacy learners’ interpretation of functions and their attitude towards Mathematics. I used a Mathematical Graphical Diagnostic (MGD) test, an attitude questionnaire, a reflective questionnaire and semi-structured interviews as instruments. The MGD test and the attitude questionnaire were given to 72 volunteer grade 11 learners at a former Model C school in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape. This group included 50 pure Mathematics learners and 22 Mathematical literacy learners. From this group, a smaller group of 10 learners further took part in the rest of the study were they went through an intervention were Excel was used as a teaching tool, covering concepts concerning functions. This group included 6 pure Mathematics and 4 Mathematical literacy learners. The 10 learners then re-wrote the MDG test and refilled the attitude questionnaire after the intervention. A reflective questionnaire was administered to the 10 learners after the intervention, with 5 learners from the 10 undergoing interviews in order to meet the objectives of the study. The administration of the MDG test and attitude questionnaire, interviews and reflective questionnaire enabled me to explore the relationship between learner performance and their attitude towards Mathematics as a subject, as well as the comparing the attitudes and performances between pure Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy learners. The study followed a qualitative research design, with an element of quantitative research. The qualitative data yielded findings that revealed the effectiveness of using Excel in teaching functions while the quantitative data revealed the difference in attitude and ability between pure Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy leaners. The findings of the study revealed that Excel played a major role in improving pure Mathematics learners’ results but not those of the Mathematical Literacy learners. The study also showed that technology does not necessarily impact on learners’ attitudes positively.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Zakumba, Lwazi Xolisile
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Microsoft Excel (Computer file) , Computer-assisted instruction , Mathematics -- Study and teaching (Secondary)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9455 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018756
- Description: The aim of this study was to investigate the role Excel could play in influencing Mathematics and Mathematical literacy learners’ interpretation of functions and their attitude towards Mathematics. I used a Mathematical Graphical Diagnostic (MGD) test, an attitude questionnaire, a reflective questionnaire and semi-structured interviews as instruments. The MGD test and the attitude questionnaire were given to 72 volunteer grade 11 learners at a former Model C school in Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape. This group included 50 pure Mathematics learners and 22 Mathematical literacy learners. From this group, a smaller group of 10 learners further took part in the rest of the study were they went through an intervention were Excel was used as a teaching tool, covering concepts concerning functions. This group included 6 pure Mathematics and 4 Mathematical literacy learners. The 10 learners then re-wrote the MDG test and refilled the attitude questionnaire after the intervention. A reflective questionnaire was administered to the 10 learners after the intervention, with 5 learners from the 10 undergoing interviews in order to meet the objectives of the study. The administration of the MDG test and attitude questionnaire, interviews and reflective questionnaire enabled me to explore the relationship between learner performance and their attitude towards Mathematics as a subject, as well as the comparing the attitudes and performances between pure Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy learners. The study followed a qualitative research design, with an element of quantitative research. The qualitative data yielded findings that revealed the effectiveness of using Excel in teaching functions while the quantitative data revealed the difference in attitude and ability between pure Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy leaners. The findings of the study revealed that Excel played a major role in improving pure Mathematics learners’ results but not those of the Mathematical Literacy learners. The study also showed that technology does not necessarily impact on learners’ attitudes positively.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A comparative assessment of dairy calf feeding management systems at Fernwood Dairy Farm, Alexandria, Eastern Cape
- Phakwago, Potego Steward Kgaditsi
- Authors: Phakwago, Potego Steward Kgaditsi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Dairy cattle -- Nutrition -- Requirements , Dairy cattle -- Feeding and feeds , Cattle -- Feed utilization efficiency
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/48069 , vital:40468
- Description: The study compared fresh milk as group control to three different milk replacers (Blossom® Easymix, Denkavit® Milk-Bar and Surromel® Calf) and two milk supplements (Byboost Calf® and SupaCalf®) mixed with fresh milk at Fernwood Dairy Farm in Alexandria, Eastern Cape. The objectives of the study were to compare the growth rate of the calves in a trial from day two to 49 at weaning and to calculate average daily gain with the aim of comparison of the cost/weight gain ratio of each liquid feed fed. Sixty Holstein (60) heifer calves were used in a completely randomised design to calculate average daily body weight gains in the six calf groups fed six different milk feeds. Calves were fed four litres liquid feeds every day. Water and solid feeds (Olifantskop® calf starter pellets and lucerne hay) were available. Results comprise of details regarding weather conditions, weight gain results, and body stature measurements, including body weight, wither height, hip height and heart girth. Statistical analysis of the weight gain and body stature measurements was essential to determine the usefulness and reliability of the research data. Results of the statistical calculations indicated that the body weight gain data provided very useful results with statistical significant differences between the six groups (F=5.09; P=0.0008). Body stature measurements are not as reliable. Results are summarised as follows: Liquid feed Cost/kg weight gain Average daily gain • Fresh milk R 34.29 0.50 kg/day • Blossom®Easymix R39.25 0.35 kg/day • Denkavit® Milk-Bar R22.57 0.42 kg/day • Surromel® Calf R23.48 0.39 kg/day • Fresh milk + Byboost Calf® R37.46 0.47 kg/day • Fresh milk +SupaCalf® R29.76 0.62 kg/day Comparison of the cost/weight gain ratio of milk replacers and fresh milk draws the following conclusions: The cost of feeding a calf was significantly lower when milk replacers Denkavit® and Surromel® were used; however this yielded a lower average daily gain when compared with that of fresh milk. Denkavit® milk replacer had a lower cost than fresh milk in terms of the average daily gain. The cost of the Denkavit was the lowest of all the products (R22.56/kg) and was in the fourth position in weight gain (0.42kg/day). Surromel® lay in the fifth place for both cost (R23.48/kg) and weight gain (0.39 kg/day). Blossom® Easymix milk replacer had a higher cost than fresh milk. Blossom was the most costly of all the feeds (R39.25/kg) but had the lowest average daily gain (0.35 kg/day). Comparison of fresh milk plus additives to fresh milk alone: The use of SupaCalf® additive to fresh milk resulted in the highest average daily gain of 0.62 kg/day at a cost of R29.76/kg which was more cost effective than the control fresh milk group (0.50 kg/day, R34.29/kg), When using Byboost® additive the average daily gain of 0.47 kg/day at a cost of R37.46, less cost effective than fresh milk (0.50 kg/day, R34.29). Statistical analysis of body stature measurements yielded one significant result(F=3.20; p=0.0140) confirming that use of SupaCalf® additive resulted in the biggest heart girth increase at 16.90 cm and the smallest being Blossom® Easymix at 11.88 cm. Figure for the control fresh milk group was 12.86 cm. Dairy calves all over the world are fed different feeds depending on the farm owner or manager’s preference and budget. For those who have been in the industry for a while as well as the newcomers, this study can help when weighing options and deciding on which feeds to use.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Phakwago, Potego Steward Kgaditsi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Dairy cattle -- Nutrition -- Requirements , Dairy cattle -- Feeding and feeds , Cattle -- Feed utilization efficiency
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/48069 , vital:40468
- Description: The study compared fresh milk as group control to three different milk replacers (Blossom® Easymix, Denkavit® Milk-Bar and Surromel® Calf) and two milk supplements (Byboost Calf® and SupaCalf®) mixed with fresh milk at Fernwood Dairy Farm in Alexandria, Eastern Cape. The objectives of the study were to compare the growth rate of the calves in a trial from day two to 49 at weaning and to calculate average daily gain with the aim of comparison of the cost/weight gain ratio of each liquid feed fed. Sixty Holstein (60) heifer calves were used in a completely randomised design to calculate average daily body weight gains in the six calf groups fed six different milk feeds. Calves were fed four litres liquid feeds every day. Water and solid feeds (Olifantskop® calf starter pellets and lucerne hay) were available. Results comprise of details regarding weather conditions, weight gain results, and body stature measurements, including body weight, wither height, hip height and heart girth. Statistical analysis of the weight gain and body stature measurements was essential to determine the usefulness and reliability of the research data. Results of the statistical calculations indicated that the body weight gain data provided very useful results with statistical significant differences between the six groups (F=5.09; P=0.0008). Body stature measurements are not as reliable. Results are summarised as follows: Liquid feed Cost/kg weight gain Average daily gain • Fresh milk R 34.29 0.50 kg/day • Blossom®Easymix R39.25 0.35 kg/day • Denkavit® Milk-Bar R22.57 0.42 kg/day • Surromel® Calf R23.48 0.39 kg/day • Fresh milk + Byboost Calf® R37.46 0.47 kg/day • Fresh milk +SupaCalf® R29.76 0.62 kg/day Comparison of the cost/weight gain ratio of milk replacers and fresh milk draws the following conclusions: The cost of feeding a calf was significantly lower when milk replacers Denkavit® and Surromel® were used; however this yielded a lower average daily gain when compared with that of fresh milk. Denkavit® milk replacer had a lower cost than fresh milk in terms of the average daily gain. The cost of the Denkavit was the lowest of all the products (R22.56/kg) and was in the fourth position in weight gain (0.42kg/day). Surromel® lay in the fifth place for both cost (R23.48/kg) and weight gain (0.39 kg/day). Blossom® Easymix milk replacer had a higher cost than fresh milk. Blossom was the most costly of all the feeds (R39.25/kg) but had the lowest average daily gain (0.35 kg/day). Comparison of fresh milk plus additives to fresh milk alone: The use of SupaCalf® additive to fresh milk resulted in the highest average daily gain of 0.62 kg/day at a cost of R29.76/kg which was more cost effective than the control fresh milk group (0.50 kg/day, R34.29/kg), When using Byboost® additive the average daily gain of 0.47 kg/day at a cost of R37.46, less cost effective than fresh milk (0.50 kg/day, R34.29). Statistical analysis of body stature measurements yielded one significant result(F=3.20; p=0.0140) confirming that use of SupaCalf® additive resulted in the biggest heart girth increase at 16.90 cm and the smallest being Blossom® Easymix at 11.88 cm. Figure for the control fresh milk group was 12.86 cm. Dairy calves all over the world are fed different feeds depending on the farm owner or manager’s preference and budget. For those who have been in the industry for a while as well as the newcomers, this study can help when weighing options and deciding on which feeds to use.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A comparison of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators between Germany and South Africa
- Authors: Giesser, Anne
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Motivation (Psychology) , Employee motivation , Cultural relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9417 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021063
- Description: This thesis explored different perceptions of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in an intercultural context. The main objective of this study was to investigate similarities and differences concerning extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in the workplace between the German and the South African culture by examining individuals with working experience and tertiary education. It provides background information about motivation and a historical overview of previous and current motivational theories as well as cultural influences and differences. In addition, regarding the two cultures the researcher aimed to investigate similarities and differences between other demographics such as gender, age and income. The literature review provides information about extrinsic and intrinsic motivation retrieved from previous research and puts it into an intercultural context. The researcher conducted a quantitative, exploratory study. The data was gathered using an existing research instrument, which was distributed online. The sample comprised 374 respondents. This sample was conducted by a combination of quota and snowball sampling. The obtained data is evaluated and presented in text and table form. The results revealed preferences for intrinsic motivators for the whole sample and higher motivation for the South African part of the sample. Demographic characteristics played a minor role.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Giesser, Anne
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Motivation (Psychology) , Employee motivation , Cultural relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9417 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021063
- Description: This thesis explored different perceptions of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in an intercultural context. The main objective of this study was to investigate similarities and differences concerning extrinsic and intrinsic motivation in the workplace between the German and the South African culture by examining individuals with working experience and tertiary education. It provides background information about motivation and a historical overview of previous and current motivational theories as well as cultural influences and differences. In addition, regarding the two cultures the researcher aimed to investigate similarities and differences between other demographics such as gender, age and income. The literature review provides information about extrinsic and intrinsic motivation retrieved from previous research and puts it into an intercultural context. The researcher conducted a quantitative, exploratory study. The data was gathered using an existing research instrument, which was distributed online. The sample comprised 374 respondents. This sample was conducted by a combination of quota and snowball sampling. The obtained data is evaluated and presented in text and table form. The results revealed preferences for intrinsic motivators for the whole sample and higher motivation for the South African part of the sample. Demographic characteristics played a minor role.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A context-aware model to improve usability of information presented on mobile devices
- Authors: Ntawanga, Felix Fred
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Context-aware computing , Online information services
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10495 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020768
- Description: Online information access on mobile devices is increasing as a result of the growth in the use of Internet-enabled handheld (or pocket-size) devices. The combined influence of recent enabling technologies such as Web 2.0, mobile app stores and improved wireless networks have driven the increase in online applications that allow users to access various types of information on mobile devices regardless of time and location. Examples of such applications (usually shortened to app) include: social media, such as FacebookTM App and TwitterTM App, banking applications such as (Standard Bank South Africa)TM Mobile Banking App and First National Bank (FNB) BankingTM App, and news application such as news 24TM App and BBCTM News App. Online businesses involved in buying, selling and business transaction processing activities via the Internet have exploited the opportunity to extend electronic commerce (e-commerce) initiatives into mobile commerce (m-commerce). Online businesses that interact with end user customers implement business to consumer (B2C) m-commerce applications that enable customers to access and browse product catalogue information on mobile devices, anytime, anywhere. Customers accessing electronic product catalogue information on a mobile device face a number of challenges such as a long list of products presented on a small screen and a longer information download time. These challenges mainly originate from the limiting and dynamic nature of the mobile apps operating environment, for example, dynamic location, bandwidth fluctuations and, diverse and limited device features, collectively referred to as context. The goal of this research was to design and implement a context-aware model that can be incorporated into an m-commerce application in order to improve the presentation of product catalogue information on m-commerce storefronts. The motivation for selecting product catalogue is prompted by literature which indicates that improved presentation of information in m-commerce (and e-commerce) applications has a positive impact on usability of the websites. Usable m-commerce (and e-commerce) websites improve efficiency in consumer behaviour that impacts sales, profits and business growth. The context-aware model aimed at collecting context information within the user environment and utilising it to determine optimal retrieval and presentation of product catalogue in m-commerce. An integrated logical context sensor and Mathematical algorithms were implemented in the context-aware model. The integrated logical context sensor was responsible for the collection of different types of predetermined context information such as device specification or capabilities, connection bandwidth, location and time of the day as well as the user profile. The algorithms transformed the collected context information into usable formats and enabled optimal retrieval and presentation of product catalogue data on a specific mobile device. Open-source implementation tools were utilised to implement components of the model including: HTML5, PhP, JavaScript and MySQL database. The context-aware model was incorporated into an existing m-commerce application. Two user evaluation studies were conducted during the course of the research. The first evaluation was to evaluate the accuracy of information collected by the context sensor component of the model. This survey was conducted with a sample of 30 users from different countries across the world. In-between the context sensor and main evaluation surveys, a pilot study was conducted with a sample of 19 users with great experience in mobile application development and use from SAP Next Business and Technology, Africa. Finally an overall user evaluation study was conducted with a sample of 30 users from a remote area called Kgautswane in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The results obtained indicate that the context-aware model was able to determine accurate context information in real-time and effectively determine how much product information should be retrieved and how the information should be presented on a mobile device interface. Two main contributions emerged from the research, first the research contributed to the field of mobile Human Computer Interaction. During the research, techniques of evaluating and improving usability of mobile applications were demonstrated. Secondly, the research made a significant contribution to the upcoming field of context-aware computing. The research brought clarity with regard to context-aware computing which is lacking in existing, current research despite the field’s proven impact of improving usability of applications. Researchers can utilise contributions made in this research to develop further techniques and usable context-aware solutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Ntawanga, Felix Fred
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Context-aware computing , Online information services
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10495 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020768
- Description: Online information access on mobile devices is increasing as a result of the growth in the use of Internet-enabled handheld (or pocket-size) devices. The combined influence of recent enabling technologies such as Web 2.0, mobile app stores and improved wireless networks have driven the increase in online applications that allow users to access various types of information on mobile devices regardless of time and location. Examples of such applications (usually shortened to app) include: social media, such as FacebookTM App and TwitterTM App, banking applications such as (Standard Bank South Africa)TM Mobile Banking App and First National Bank (FNB) BankingTM App, and news application such as news 24TM App and BBCTM News App. Online businesses involved in buying, selling and business transaction processing activities via the Internet have exploited the opportunity to extend electronic commerce (e-commerce) initiatives into mobile commerce (m-commerce). Online businesses that interact with end user customers implement business to consumer (B2C) m-commerce applications that enable customers to access and browse product catalogue information on mobile devices, anytime, anywhere. Customers accessing electronic product catalogue information on a mobile device face a number of challenges such as a long list of products presented on a small screen and a longer information download time. These challenges mainly originate from the limiting and dynamic nature of the mobile apps operating environment, for example, dynamic location, bandwidth fluctuations and, diverse and limited device features, collectively referred to as context. The goal of this research was to design and implement a context-aware model that can be incorporated into an m-commerce application in order to improve the presentation of product catalogue information on m-commerce storefronts. The motivation for selecting product catalogue is prompted by literature which indicates that improved presentation of information in m-commerce (and e-commerce) applications has a positive impact on usability of the websites. Usable m-commerce (and e-commerce) websites improve efficiency in consumer behaviour that impacts sales, profits and business growth. The context-aware model aimed at collecting context information within the user environment and utilising it to determine optimal retrieval and presentation of product catalogue in m-commerce. An integrated logical context sensor and Mathematical algorithms were implemented in the context-aware model. The integrated logical context sensor was responsible for the collection of different types of predetermined context information such as device specification or capabilities, connection bandwidth, location and time of the day as well as the user profile. The algorithms transformed the collected context information into usable formats and enabled optimal retrieval and presentation of product catalogue data on a specific mobile device. Open-source implementation tools were utilised to implement components of the model including: HTML5, PhP, JavaScript and MySQL database. The context-aware model was incorporated into an existing m-commerce application. Two user evaluation studies were conducted during the course of the research. The first evaluation was to evaluate the accuracy of information collected by the context sensor component of the model. This survey was conducted with a sample of 30 users from different countries across the world. In-between the context sensor and main evaluation surveys, a pilot study was conducted with a sample of 19 users with great experience in mobile application development and use from SAP Next Business and Technology, Africa. Finally an overall user evaluation study was conducted with a sample of 30 users from a remote area called Kgautswane in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The results obtained indicate that the context-aware model was able to determine accurate context information in real-time and effectively determine how much product information should be retrieved and how the information should be presented on a mobile device interface. Two main contributions emerged from the research, first the research contributed to the field of mobile Human Computer Interaction. During the research, techniques of evaluating and improving usability of mobile applications were demonstrated. Secondly, the research made a significant contribution to the upcoming field of context-aware computing. The research brought clarity with regard to context-aware computing which is lacking in existing, current research despite the field’s proven impact of improving usability of applications. Researchers can utilise contributions made in this research to develop further techniques and usable context-aware solutions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A critical analysis of ethnic conflict in Kenya : the politicisation of ethnicity in Kenya subsequent to the 2007 elections
- Authors: Daweti, Siyabulela
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Ethnic conflict -- Kenya , Kenya -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: vital:8345 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020780
- Description: This study examines the interface between Kenyan politics and ethnicity. More specifically it examines why ethnicity is at the core of Kenyan politics. Although this study discusses how colonialism influenced the ethnicisation of African politics, it focuses more on the era of post-colonial politics. The objective of the study is to investigate how post-colonial Kenyan leaders have shaped the content of Kenyan politics. This study explores ethnic conflicts in Kenya, more especially the 2008 conflict. In order to provide a clear framework for the analysis of Kenyan society, Zambian politics and its social dynamics were also examined in this study. In terms of political development and other variables, one could describe Zambia as Kenya’s peer. It is, therefore, an ideal country against which to evaluate Kenya. In terms research methodology, this study has taken a descriptive and an explanatory approach. Thematic and content analysis has also been employed as data analysis methods. This study has established that the manner in which Kenyan politics are organised is centred on ethnicity. The study found that Kenya’s unique political and social components have predisposed Kenya to ethnic conflicts. For example, a political future within Kenyan political parties and in public office is heavily influenced by one’s ethnicity. Ethnicity also plays a role in the nature of political coalitions. As a solution to the Kenyan problem, this author has recommended that Kenya’s politics (and political campaigns) be based on issues related to the development of Kenyan society, rather than ethnicity. Those in public office should also elevate national identity above ethnic identity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Daweti, Siyabulela
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Ethnic conflict -- Kenya , Kenya -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: vital:8345 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020780
- Description: This study examines the interface between Kenyan politics and ethnicity. More specifically it examines why ethnicity is at the core of Kenyan politics. Although this study discusses how colonialism influenced the ethnicisation of African politics, it focuses more on the era of post-colonial politics. The objective of the study is to investigate how post-colonial Kenyan leaders have shaped the content of Kenyan politics. This study explores ethnic conflicts in Kenya, more especially the 2008 conflict. In order to provide a clear framework for the analysis of Kenyan society, Zambian politics and its social dynamics were also examined in this study. In terms of political development and other variables, one could describe Zambia as Kenya’s peer. It is, therefore, an ideal country against which to evaluate Kenya. In terms research methodology, this study has taken a descriptive and an explanatory approach. Thematic and content analysis has also been employed as data analysis methods. This study has established that the manner in which Kenyan politics are organised is centred on ethnicity. The study found that Kenya’s unique political and social components have predisposed Kenya to ethnic conflicts. For example, a political future within Kenyan political parties and in public office is heavily influenced by one’s ethnicity. Ethnicity also plays a role in the nature of political coalitions. As a solution to the Kenyan problem, this author has recommended that Kenya’s politics (and political campaigns) be based on issues related to the development of Kenyan society, rather than ethnicity. Those in public office should also elevate national identity above ethnic identity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A critical analysis of the reference pricing tool used by SARS to address undervaluation of imported clothing
- Authors: Mansoor, Younus Ahmed
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Transfer pricing -- Taxation -- South Africa , Tariff -- Law and legislation , Customs appraisal , Revenue management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:8965 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020755
- Description: The South African Revenue Service has since 2009 introduced “reference pricing” as a tool to detect undervaluation of customs values of imported clothing and textiles. The term “reference pricing” is not defined in the Customs and Excise Act No.91 of 1964 which is the legislation that governs the importation of goods into the Republic of South Africa. The mandate of the South African Revenue Service, amongst others, is to facilitate legitimate trade. By applying the reference pricing guidelines the South African Revenue Service will target all importers who declare customs values which are less than the reference price for a targeted tariff heading associated with an item of clothing or textile. The Customs and Excise Act No.91 of 1964 is clear in that the transaction value which is the price paid or payable for the imported goods shall be the value used for customs duty purposes. The Customs and Excise Act No.91 of 1964 also requires that the interpretation of the sections 65, 66 and 67 of the said Act shall be subject to the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (Valuation Agreement). Part I of the Valuation Agreement deals with the rules for customs valuation. Article 17 of part 1 allows for customs administrations to satisfy themselves as to the truth or accuracy of any statement, document or declaration presented for customs valuation purposes. The Technical Committee on Customs Valuation of the World Trade Organisation decided the following in so far as Article 17 of the aforesaid agreement is concerned: “1. When a declaration has been presented and where the customs administration has reason to doubt the truth or accuracy of the particulars or of documents produced in support of this declaration, the customs administration may ask the importer to provide further explanation, including documents or other evidence, that the declared value represents the total amount actually paid or payable for the imported goods, ....” It would appear that the South African Revenue Service is using reference prices as a tool to support its reason for doubting the truth or accuracy of the declared customs values. The indiscriminate use of reference pricing, it is submitted, affects legitimate trade adversely. This treatise provides an understanding of how the customs value should be determined in terms of the Customs and Excise Act No.91 of 1964 and the Valuation Agreement. It then provides a background to reference pricing and how reference pricing will be used to detect undervalued imports of clothing and textiles, the advantages and disadvantages of using reference pricing and a comparative analysis of the approach adopted by the Mexican Tax Administration Service in so far as the use of reference pricing is concerned. It was established that the reference price cannot replace the customs value of an imported clothing item as the customs value is based on the price actually paid or payable for it and not on some arbitrary or fictitious value. The reference price can only be used as a tool to identify importers that are possibly undervaluing the customs values. The disadvantages far outweigh the advantages of using reference pricing. The treatise further provides a background to the use of a valuation database as a risk assessment tool and compares this to the use of reference pricing. The use of reference pricing and its impact on trade facilitation is then discussed as well as whether the use of reference pricing is consistent with the risk management principles as discussed in the World Customs Organisation Risk Management Guide. It was established that the South African Revenue Service has not disclosed the basis of arriving at the reference price per tariff heading that it targets and the use of reference pricing is not sanctioned by any international guideline or agreement. It was also established that the use of reference pricing targets compliant importers unnecessarily and this practice goes against the principles of trade facilitation. The use of reference pricing can be used as a tool to detect undervalued imports of clothing but should not be used as a basis to stop every consignment of clothing simply because the customs value declared is less than the reference price. It should not be used as a stand-alone tool but rather enhanced further with the recommendations provided. In the final analysis, recommendations are provided which seek to enhance the reference pricing mechanism and to further identify and exclude compliant importers and limit the use of reference pricing to target non-compliant importers who undervalue the customs value of imported clothing and textile items.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Mansoor, Younus Ahmed
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Transfer pricing -- Taxation -- South Africa , Tariff -- Law and legislation , Customs appraisal , Revenue management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:8965 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020755
- Description: The South African Revenue Service has since 2009 introduced “reference pricing” as a tool to detect undervaluation of customs values of imported clothing and textiles. The term “reference pricing” is not defined in the Customs and Excise Act No.91 of 1964 which is the legislation that governs the importation of goods into the Republic of South Africa. The mandate of the South African Revenue Service, amongst others, is to facilitate legitimate trade. By applying the reference pricing guidelines the South African Revenue Service will target all importers who declare customs values which are less than the reference price for a targeted tariff heading associated with an item of clothing or textile. The Customs and Excise Act No.91 of 1964 is clear in that the transaction value which is the price paid or payable for the imported goods shall be the value used for customs duty purposes. The Customs and Excise Act No.91 of 1964 also requires that the interpretation of the sections 65, 66 and 67 of the said Act shall be subject to the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (Valuation Agreement). Part I of the Valuation Agreement deals with the rules for customs valuation. Article 17 of part 1 allows for customs administrations to satisfy themselves as to the truth or accuracy of any statement, document or declaration presented for customs valuation purposes. The Technical Committee on Customs Valuation of the World Trade Organisation decided the following in so far as Article 17 of the aforesaid agreement is concerned: “1. When a declaration has been presented and where the customs administration has reason to doubt the truth or accuracy of the particulars or of documents produced in support of this declaration, the customs administration may ask the importer to provide further explanation, including documents or other evidence, that the declared value represents the total amount actually paid or payable for the imported goods, ....” It would appear that the South African Revenue Service is using reference prices as a tool to support its reason for doubting the truth or accuracy of the declared customs values. The indiscriminate use of reference pricing, it is submitted, affects legitimate trade adversely. This treatise provides an understanding of how the customs value should be determined in terms of the Customs and Excise Act No.91 of 1964 and the Valuation Agreement. It then provides a background to reference pricing and how reference pricing will be used to detect undervalued imports of clothing and textiles, the advantages and disadvantages of using reference pricing and a comparative analysis of the approach adopted by the Mexican Tax Administration Service in so far as the use of reference pricing is concerned. It was established that the reference price cannot replace the customs value of an imported clothing item as the customs value is based on the price actually paid or payable for it and not on some arbitrary or fictitious value. The reference price can only be used as a tool to identify importers that are possibly undervaluing the customs values. The disadvantages far outweigh the advantages of using reference pricing. The treatise further provides a background to the use of a valuation database as a risk assessment tool and compares this to the use of reference pricing. The use of reference pricing and its impact on trade facilitation is then discussed as well as whether the use of reference pricing is consistent with the risk management principles as discussed in the World Customs Organisation Risk Management Guide. It was established that the South African Revenue Service has not disclosed the basis of arriving at the reference price per tariff heading that it targets and the use of reference pricing is not sanctioned by any international guideline or agreement. It was also established that the use of reference pricing targets compliant importers unnecessarily and this practice goes against the principles of trade facilitation. The use of reference pricing can be used as a tool to detect undervalued imports of clothing but should not be used as a basis to stop every consignment of clothing simply because the customs value declared is less than the reference price. It should not be used as a stand-alone tool but rather enhanced further with the recommendations provided. In the final analysis, recommendations are provided which seek to enhance the reference pricing mechanism and to further identify and exclude compliant importers and limit the use of reference pricing to target non-compliant importers who undervalue the customs value of imported clothing and textile items.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A critical cultural review of the media coverage in the infighting of Nelson Mandela's burial in 2013
- Authors: Tandwa, Nontlahla
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Mandela, Nelson, 1918-2013 , Mass media and culture
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5733 , vital:20987
- Description: The aim of the study is to analyze the representation of isiXhosa traditional culture through the coverage on media coverage as the topic suggests following a legal battle on the removal of the remains of Mandela‘s children in the year 2013. The online news articles selected in this study covered issues since Mandela was in and out of hospital. The articles covered are those of local newspaper, The Herald-online- as it is based in the Eastern Cape and has covered more on the traditional beliefs, understanding and following such rituals. The aim of the study is to explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of people around the family feud and the legal battle on the removal of those remains. It will also emphasize on the representation of the media on this problem and how Xhosa tradition can be affected and also compare other newspaper articles on their coverage.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Tandwa, Nontlahla
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Mandela, Nelson, 1918-2013 , Mass media and culture
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5733 , vital:20987
- Description: The aim of the study is to analyze the representation of isiXhosa traditional culture through the coverage on media coverage as the topic suggests following a legal battle on the removal of the remains of Mandela‘s children in the year 2013. The online news articles selected in this study covered issues since Mandela was in and out of hospital. The articles covered are those of local newspaper, The Herald-online- as it is based in the Eastern Cape and has covered more on the traditional beliefs, understanding and following such rituals. The aim of the study is to explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of people around the family feud and the legal battle on the removal of those remains. It will also emphasize on the representation of the media on this problem and how Xhosa tradition can be affected and also compare other newspaper articles on their coverage.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A critical study in the management of the female adolescent voice
- Authors: Goosen, Gysbert Jacobus
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Voice, Change of , Women singers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3438 , vital:20430
- Description: This treatise is a qualitative study that critically explores a current body of knowledge significant to the development of the female adolescent voice. The female adolescent voice is a field that is relatively under-researched in comparison to the male adolescent voice, although research in this regard has shown an increase in interest in the last two decades (Gackle 2011: 11). However, information related to the male adolescent voice still far outweighs the female adolescent voice. This study, through the use of six secondary objectives, identifies and highlights areas of the female adolescent voice development, where much of the current research lacks depth and insight. It therefore analyses and compares applicable literature in an attempt principally to contribute to a more structured and academic approach in this field. Insight into the auditory effects that occur during physiological mutation is further supported by investigating the functioning of the female voice registers and the respective influences of these on the different phases of vocal development of the female adolescent. The assistance and expertise of the conductor in this process, as well as in common areas such as voice classification, auditioning, voice placement, and repertoire selection are investigated to further consolidate and compare possible interventions for problems pertaining specifically to the female adolescent voice. The study concludes with a summary of the treatise and proposes suggestions for further study in this field.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Goosen, Gysbert Jacobus
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Voice, Change of , Women singers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3438 , vital:20430
- Description: This treatise is a qualitative study that critically explores a current body of knowledge significant to the development of the female adolescent voice. The female adolescent voice is a field that is relatively under-researched in comparison to the male adolescent voice, although research in this regard has shown an increase in interest in the last two decades (Gackle 2011: 11). However, information related to the male adolescent voice still far outweighs the female adolescent voice. This study, through the use of six secondary objectives, identifies and highlights areas of the female adolescent voice development, where much of the current research lacks depth and insight. It therefore analyses and compares applicable literature in an attempt principally to contribute to a more structured and academic approach in this field. Insight into the auditory effects that occur during physiological mutation is further supported by investigating the functioning of the female voice registers and the respective influences of these on the different phases of vocal development of the female adolescent. The assistance and expertise of the conductor in this process, as well as in common areas such as voice classification, auditioning, voice placement, and repertoire selection are investigated to further consolidate and compare possible interventions for problems pertaining specifically to the female adolescent voice. The study concludes with a summary of the treatise and proposes suggestions for further study in this field.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A customer service strategy for Ngqura Container Terminal
- Mtshiselwa, Mkhululi Terrence
- Authors: Mtshiselwa, Mkhululi Terrence
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: SERVQUAL (Service quality framework) , Customer services -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8955 , vital:26446
- Description: The container terminals play an increasingly important role in the economy of many countries. In today’s global competitive environment delivering quality service is considered as an essential strategy for success and survival. In the very competitive container terminals, service quality is important in attracting and retaining customers. The shipping companies are interested in speed and reliability from the terminals. The time a ship stays in a port must be minimised, and, therefore, the handling of containers must be executed in a fast and reliable way. The importance of customer service as a competitive strategy in container terminal has long been recognised. The growth in container volumes and higher productivity by Ngqura Container Terminal has created greater demand than before from its customers in the shipping business. The current growth in container volumes and increased customer demand has made the situation at NCT less encouraging at times, due to additional traffic of vessels awaiting to dock at the port creating congestion problems; resulting in unplanned lengthy dock occupation by vessels and the current status quo is affecting NCT strategy in terms of arrival docking and providing a quick response to customers. The Ngqura terminal is under increasing pressure from its customers and stakeholders to demonstrate that their services are customer-focused and that continuous performance improvement is being delivered. Therefore, a literature study and questionnaire survey forms the main input for this research combined with interviews with terminal managers. The purpose of this research is to examine the service quality concepts and offer an operational approach for the measurement of the quality of Ngqura Container Terminal services. The main research problem in this study was to identify customer service strategies that could be applied by Ngqura Container Terminal in order to maintain and exceed its business growth as well as customer expectations? The study employed the SERVQUAL model as a measuring tool in establishing the customers’ general expectations of a service and their perceptions of the service received at Ngqura Container Terminal. The five elements of SERVQUAL, which are tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, were used to deal with and solve the main problem. Below are the sub-problems that have been identified in order to investigate and develop a research strategy: What is the customer’s perception of service quality at NCT?; What are the specific customer service requirements of NCT’s customers?; Does NCT’s service operations performance enable it to fulfill its customer service requirements?; How can the performance gap between customer service requirements and service operations performance be bridged?; Which service quality elements are important to customers for container terminals? This study wants to concentrate on the customers’ perception and evaluation toward service performance in Ngqura Container Terminal.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Mtshiselwa, Mkhululi Terrence
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: SERVQUAL (Service quality framework) , Customer services -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/8955 , vital:26446
- Description: The container terminals play an increasingly important role in the economy of many countries. In today’s global competitive environment delivering quality service is considered as an essential strategy for success and survival. In the very competitive container terminals, service quality is important in attracting and retaining customers. The shipping companies are interested in speed and reliability from the terminals. The time a ship stays in a port must be minimised, and, therefore, the handling of containers must be executed in a fast and reliable way. The importance of customer service as a competitive strategy in container terminal has long been recognised. The growth in container volumes and higher productivity by Ngqura Container Terminal has created greater demand than before from its customers in the shipping business. The current growth in container volumes and increased customer demand has made the situation at NCT less encouraging at times, due to additional traffic of vessels awaiting to dock at the port creating congestion problems; resulting in unplanned lengthy dock occupation by vessels and the current status quo is affecting NCT strategy in terms of arrival docking and providing a quick response to customers. The Ngqura terminal is under increasing pressure from its customers and stakeholders to demonstrate that their services are customer-focused and that continuous performance improvement is being delivered. Therefore, a literature study and questionnaire survey forms the main input for this research combined with interviews with terminal managers. The purpose of this research is to examine the service quality concepts and offer an operational approach for the measurement of the quality of Ngqura Container Terminal services. The main research problem in this study was to identify customer service strategies that could be applied by Ngqura Container Terminal in order to maintain and exceed its business growth as well as customer expectations? The study employed the SERVQUAL model as a measuring tool in establishing the customers’ general expectations of a service and their perceptions of the service received at Ngqura Container Terminal. The five elements of SERVQUAL, which are tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, were used to deal with and solve the main problem. Below are the sub-problems that have been identified in order to investigate and develop a research strategy: What is the customer’s perception of service quality at NCT?; What are the specific customer service requirements of NCT’s customers?; Does NCT’s service operations performance enable it to fulfill its customer service requirements?; How can the performance gap between customer service requirements and service operations performance be bridged?; Which service quality elements are important to customers for container terminals? This study wants to concentrate on the customers’ perception and evaluation toward service performance in Ngqura Container Terminal.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A framework for business leadership in Africa
- Authors: Whitley, Elwyn
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Leadership -- Africa Success in business , Management -- Africa Business Industrial management -- Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/45814 , vital:39219
- Description: In a fast moving, rapidly changing and highly competitive world the importance of strong leadership in both government and business cannot be over emphasised. The realisation that leadership is necessary for the organisation’s success and is key for the organisation’s survival (Alimo-Metcalfe and Alban- Metcalfe, 2008) is evident in the increasing focus on the concept over the last three to four decades. As the world becomes more of a ‘global village’ adapting to doing business in this new environment will require a leader who not only has the traditional skills set but also has the additional knowledge, skills and “mindset to navigate through the complexities brought on by moving beyond one's traditional borders” (Cohen, 2010. p. 3). This is of particular importance to Africa with the influx of foreign investors attracted by the growth opportunities that Africa offers, looking to expand their markets and in doing so imposing western norms and standards on local operations, in complex environments. Unfortunately Western leadership theories have not always been successful as Africans have found that in order to embrace Western ideals they need to relinquish some of their own beliefs. This highlights an opportunity to explore a possible hybrid leadership approach that harmonises the Western approach that is based on facts, logic and the nature of reality with the African humanistic orientation. The main aim of this study is to research the concept, principles, and characteristics of a small sample of business leaders in Africa in order to identify the factors that contribute to the leader’s success in a global business operating in Africa. By applying qualitative research methodology which includes an individual narrative written by each Managing Director, semistructured interviews and focus groups, a framework for business leadership in Africa was developed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Whitley, Elwyn
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Leadership -- Africa Success in business , Management -- Africa Business Industrial management -- Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/45814 , vital:39219
- Description: In a fast moving, rapidly changing and highly competitive world the importance of strong leadership in both government and business cannot be over emphasised. The realisation that leadership is necessary for the organisation’s success and is key for the organisation’s survival (Alimo-Metcalfe and Alban- Metcalfe, 2008) is evident in the increasing focus on the concept over the last three to four decades. As the world becomes more of a ‘global village’ adapting to doing business in this new environment will require a leader who not only has the traditional skills set but also has the additional knowledge, skills and “mindset to navigate through the complexities brought on by moving beyond one's traditional borders” (Cohen, 2010. p. 3). This is of particular importance to Africa with the influx of foreign investors attracted by the growth opportunities that Africa offers, looking to expand their markets and in doing so imposing western norms and standards on local operations, in complex environments. Unfortunately Western leadership theories have not always been successful as Africans have found that in order to embrace Western ideals they need to relinquish some of their own beliefs. This highlights an opportunity to explore a possible hybrid leadership approach that harmonises the Western approach that is based on facts, logic and the nature of reality with the African humanistic orientation. The main aim of this study is to research the concept, principles, and characteristics of a small sample of business leaders in Africa in order to identify the factors that contribute to the leader’s success in a global business operating in Africa. By applying qualitative research methodology which includes an individual narrative written by each Managing Director, semistructured interviews and focus groups, a framework for business leadership in Africa was developed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A framework for the management of environmental information in Higher Education Institutions
- Authors: Jonamu, Blessing Tapiwa
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Sustainability , Universities and colleges , Environmental management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10492 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020620
- Description: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are not immune to the global environment problems. An increasing awareness of the environmental responsibilities of HEIs has led researchers to investigate the role of environmental information and Environmental Management Information Systems (EMISs) in HEIs. EMISs play a major role in environmental management and environmental decision making in HEIs. Internationally, an increasing number of HEIs are embracing the concept of ‘sustainable HEIs’ by undertaking green campus initiatives. HEIs often use diverse information systems, some of which are manual systems, proven to be inefficient and this gives rise to redundant and inconsistent databases which result in non-compliance with regulations, confusion and lack of co-ordinated effort. There is therefore need for an integrated, comprehensive software system and framework which can assist with the efficient management of environmental information at South African HEIs. This study fills a gap in the field of environmental sustainability at HEIs as the evaluation of existing sustainability programs has shown common weakness such as: Failure to effectively set baselines, flaws in data acquisition and management and missing documentation. The aim of this study is to propose a framework for Environmental Information Management (EIM) in HEIs. The framework includes guidelines related to the components of the framework which can also be used to perform a gap analysis to facilitate the improved design of effective and efficient EIM processes and data stores. The Design Science Research (DSR) methodology is the research methodology used in the development of the two artifacts of this study namely: The EIM framework for HEIs and an EMIS prototype to serve as proof of concept. Problem identification and motivation was the first activity of the DSR which was done through a rigorous literature review and an investigation and evaluation of extant systems. This resulted in the design of an initial EIM framework for HEIs. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) was the HEI used as the case study. The EIM framework was applied at NMMU and this enabled the researcher to understand the current As-Is EIM processes at NMMU and this resulted in clear objectives of a solution. The EMIS prototype (data warehouse) was then designed and implemented based on the theoretical framework. Three sets of evaluations were done to determine the acceptance of the EIM framework for HEIs and the performance of the EMIS prototype. The EIM framework was generally positively accepted and minor suggestions were made. An updated version of the EIM framework was proposed and evaluated. The experimental evaluation results showed that the EMIS prototype was efficient and effective. The contribution of this study is an EIM framework for HEIs and an implementation of an EMIS (EnviroDW) at NMMU that could be utilised by other HEIs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Jonamu, Blessing Tapiwa
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Sustainability , Universities and colleges , Environmental management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10492 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020620
- Description: Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are not immune to the global environment problems. An increasing awareness of the environmental responsibilities of HEIs has led researchers to investigate the role of environmental information and Environmental Management Information Systems (EMISs) in HEIs. EMISs play a major role in environmental management and environmental decision making in HEIs. Internationally, an increasing number of HEIs are embracing the concept of ‘sustainable HEIs’ by undertaking green campus initiatives. HEIs often use diverse information systems, some of which are manual systems, proven to be inefficient and this gives rise to redundant and inconsistent databases which result in non-compliance with regulations, confusion and lack of co-ordinated effort. There is therefore need for an integrated, comprehensive software system and framework which can assist with the efficient management of environmental information at South African HEIs. This study fills a gap in the field of environmental sustainability at HEIs as the evaluation of existing sustainability programs has shown common weakness such as: Failure to effectively set baselines, flaws in data acquisition and management and missing documentation. The aim of this study is to propose a framework for Environmental Information Management (EIM) in HEIs. The framework includes guidelines related to the components of the framework which can also be used to perform a gap analysis to facilitate the improved design of effective and efficient EIM processes and data stores. The Design Science Research (DSR) methodology is the research methodology used in the development of the two artifacts of this study namely: The EIM framework for HEIs and an EMIS prototype to serve as proof of concept. Problem identification and motivation was the first activity of the DSR which was done through a rigorous literature review and an investigation and evaluation of extant systems. This resulted in the design of an initial EIM framework for HEIs. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) was the HEI used as the case study. The EIM framework was applied at NMMU and this enabled the researcher to understand the current As-Is EIM processes at NMMU and this resulted in clear objectives of a solution. The EMIS prototype (data warehouse) was then designed and implemented based on the theoretical framework. Three sets of evaluations were done to determine the acceptance of the EIM framework for HEIs and the performance of the EMIS prototype. The EIM framework was generally positively accepted and minor suggestions were made. An updated version of the EIM framework was proposed and evaluated. The experimental evaluation results showed that the EMIS prototype was efficient and effective. The contribution of this study is an EIM framework for HEIs and an implementation of an EMIS (EnviroDW) at NMMU that could be utilised by other HEIs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A framework to elicit user requirements for information systems: a localised participatory approach from Southern Africa
- Authors: Tyukala, Mkhululi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Information technology -- Africa, Southern , User-centered system design -- Africa, Southern , Management information systems -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/4546 , vital:20615
- Description: The “What” and “Why” in information system development in resource restricted environments is already well covered in literature. However, the “How” to do it still has not been explored. This thesis reports on the development of a locally flavoured participatory user requirements elicitation framework for the development of information systems in resource restricted environments. It uses existing participatory design practices, user requirements elicitation literature and local participatory norms and traditions to achieve this. In doing so, it takes a step towards the way information systems could be developed in resource restricted environments. The topic of this thesis is mainly motivated by the recent calls in existing literature for developing countries to start developing their own information systems in order to address their own requirements. Accordingly, and to lay a foundation towards the realisation of this goal, this research is positioned within the user requirements elicitation region of information systems development. Current user requirements elicitation methods use traditional methods where experts/designers ask system users questions through interviews or learn about their environment through observations. This research proposes a shift from this approach to one that not only views users as equal partners in the elicitation process but in the whole information systems development process. This is in the spirit of participatory design, which was developed in Scandinavia more than four decades ago. Further, recent research in participatory design emphasises the importance of its contextual nature and concedes that there is no single best practice for participatory design in information systems that applies to all contexts. This research explores the information systems development discourse in resource restricted environments in Africa. Its purpose is to enhance understanding of the local contexts, thus providing new insights on how to develop a framework that speaks to local challenges using norms and traditions in order to develop information systems that address local requirements. Thus, the main contribution of this research lies in laying a foundation for a locally flavoured participatory approach for information systems development in resource restricted environments. It contributes to the existing information systems development, participatory design and user requirements elicitation body of knowledge by developing a framework for participatory user requirements elicitation. In addition, it contributes to the participatory design body of knowledge by introducing an age-old African participatory decisionmaking approach to the academic participatory design community. In doing so, it adopts the meaning of participation from an African value system point of view, which is something that has only been previously explored in the Nordic countries and North America. Finally, recommendations for the application, limitations and avenues for further research are incorporated into the findings of this research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Tyukala, Mkhululi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Information technology -- Africa, Southern , User-centered system design -- Africa, Southern , Management information systems -- Africa, Southern
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/4546 , vital:20615
- Description: The “What” and “Why” in information system development in resource restricted environments is already well covered in literature. However, the “How” to do it still has not been explored. This thesis reports on the development of a locally flavoured participatory user requirements elicitation framework for the development of information systems in resource restricted environments. It uses existing participatory design practices, user requirements elicitation literature and local participatory norms and traditions to achieve this. In doing so, it takes a step towards the way information systems could be developed in resource restricted environments. The topic of this thesis is mainly motivated by the recent calls in existing literature for developing countries to start developing their own information systems in order to address their own requirements. Accordingly, and to lay a foundation towards the realisation of this goal, this research is positioned within the user requirements elicitation region of information systems development. Current user requirements elicitation methods use traditional methods where experts/designers ask system users questions through interviews or learn about their environment through observations. This research proposes a shift from this approach to one that not only views users as equal partners in the elicitation process but in the whole information systems development process. This is in the spirit of participatory design, which was developed in Scandinavia more than four decades ago. Further, recent research in participatory design emphasises the importance of its contextual nature and concedes that there is no single best practice for participatory design in information systems that applies to all contexts. This research explores the information systems development discourse in resource restricted environments in Africa. Its purpose is to enhance understanding of the local contexts, thus providing new insights on how to develop a framework that speaks to local challenges using norms and traditions in order to develop information systems that address local requirements. Thus, the main contribution of this research lies in laying a foundation for a locally flavoured participatory approach for information systems development in resource restricted environments. It contributes to the existing information systems development, participatory design and user requirements elicitation body of knowledge by developing a framework for participatory user requirements elicitation. In addition, it contributes to the participatory design body of knowledge by introducing an age-old African participatory decisionmaking approach to the academic participatory design community. In doing so, it adopts the meaning of participation from an African value system point of view, which is something that has only been previously explored in the Nordic countries and North America. Finally, recommendations for the application, limitations and avenues for further research are incorporated into the findings of this research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A hybrid model for managing personal health records in South Africa
- Authors: Kyazze, Michael
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Cloud computing -- South Africa , Information storage and retrieval systems -- Medical care -- South Africa , Medical records -- Management -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3145 , vital:20403
- Description: Doctors can experience difficulty in accessing medical information of new patients. One reason for this is that the management of medical records is mostly institution-centred. The lack of access to medical information may negatively affect patients in several ways. These include new medical tests that may need to be carried out at a cost to the patient and doctors prescribing drugs to which the patient is allergic. This research investigates how patients can play an active role in sharing their personal health records (PHRs) with doctors located in geographically separate areas. In order to achieve the goal of this research, existing literature concerning medical health records and standards was reviewed. A literature review of techniques that can be used to ensure privacy of health information was also undertaken. Interview studies were carried out with three medical practices in Port Elizabeth with the aim of contextualising the findings from the literature study. The Design Science Research methodology was used for this research. A Hybrid Model for Managing Personal Health Records in South Africa is proposed. This model allows patients to view their PHRs on their mobile phones and medical practitioners to manage the patients’ PHRs using a web-based application. The patients’ PHR information is stored both on a cloud server and on mobile devices hence the hybrid nature. Two prototypes were developed as a proof of concept; a mobile application for the patients and a web-based application for the medical practitioners. A field study was carried out with the NMMU health services department and 12 participants over a period of two weeks. The results of the field study were highly positive. The successful evaluation of the prototypes provides empirical evidence that the proposed model brings us closer to the realisation of ubiquitous access to PHRS in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Kyazze, Michael
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Cloud computing -- South Africa , Information storage and retrieval systems -- Medical care -- South Africa , Medical records -- Management -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3145 , vital:20403
- Description: Doctors can experience difficulty in accessing medical information of new patients. One reason for this is that the management of medical records is mostly institution-centred. The lack of access to medical information may negatively affect patients in several ways. These include new medical tests that may need to be carried out at a cost to the patient and doctors prescribing drugs to which the patient is allergic. This research investigates how patients can play an active role in sharing their personal health records (PHRs) with doctors located in geographically separate areas. In order to achieve the goal of this research, existing literature concerning medical health records and standards was reviewed. A literature review of techniques that can be used to ensure privacy of health information was also undertaken. Interview studies were carried out with three medical practices in Port Elizabeth with the aim of contextualising the findings from the literature study. The Design Science Research methodology was used for this research. A Hybrid Model for Managing Personal Health Records in South Africa is proposed. This model allows patients to view their PHRs on their mobile phones and medical practitioners to manage the patients’ PHRs using a web-based application. The patients’ PHR information is stored both on a cloud server and on mobile devices hence the hybrid nature. Two prototypes were developed as a proof of concept; a mobile application for the patients and a web-based application for the medical practitioners. A field study was carried out with the NMMU health services department and 12 participants over a period of two weeks. The results of the field study were highly positive. The successful evaluation of the prototypes provides empirical evidence that the proposed model brings us closer to the realisation of ubiquitous access to PHRS in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A hybridisation technique for game playing using the upper confidence for trees algorithm with artificial neural networks
- Authors: Burger, Clayton
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Neural networks (Computer science) , Computer algorithms
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3957 , vital:20495
- Description: In the domain of strategic game playing, the use of statistical techniques such as the Upper Confidence for Trees (UCT) algorithm, has become the norm as they offer many benefits over classical algorithms. These benefits include requiring no game-specific strategic knowledge and time-scalable performance. UCT does not incorporate any strategic information specific to the game considered, but instead uses repeated sampling to effectively brute-force search through the game tree or search space. The lack of game-specific knowledge in UCT is thus both a benefit but also a strategic disadvantage. Pattern recognition techniques, specifically Neural Networks (NN), were identified as a means of addressing the lack of game-specific knowledge in UCT. Through a novel hybridisation technique which combines UCT and trained NNs for pruning, the UCTNN algorithm was derived. The NN component of UCT-NN was trained using a UCT self-play scheme to generate game-specific knowledge without the need to construct and manage game databases for training purposes. The UCT-NN algorithm is outlined for pruning in the game of Go-Moku as a candidate case-study for this research. The UCT-NN algorithm contained three major parameters which emerged from the UCT algorithm, the use of NNs and the pruning schemes considered. Suitable methods for finding candidate values for these three parameters were outlined and applied to the game of Go-Moku on a 5 by 5 board. An empirical investigation of the playing performance of UCT-NN was conducted in comparison to UCT through three benchmarks. The benchmarks comprise a common randomly moving opponent, a common UCTmax player which is given a large amount of playing time, and a pair-wise tournament between UCT-NN and UCT. The results of the performance evaluation for 5 by 5 Go-Moku were promising, which prompted an evaluation of a larger 9 by 9 Go-Moku board. The results of both evaluations indicate that the time allocated to the UCT-NN algorithm directly affects its performance when compared to UCT. The UCT-NN algorithm generally performs better than UCT in games with very limited time-constraints in all benchmarks considered except when playing against a randomly moving player in 9 by 9 Go-Moku. In real-time and near-real-time Go-Moku games, UCT-NN provides statistically significant improvements compared to UCT. The findings of this research contribute to the realisation of applying game-specific knowledge to the UCT algorithm.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Burger, Clayton
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Neural networks (Computer science) , Computer algorithms
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3957 , vital:20495
- Description: In the domain of strategic game playing, the use of statistical techniques such as the Upper Confidence for Trees (UCT) algorithm, has become the norm as they offer many benefits over classical algorithms. These benefits include requiring no game-specific strategic knowledge and time-scalable performance. UCT does not incorporate any strategic information specific to the game considered, but instead uses repeated sampling to effectively brute-force search through the game tree or search space. The lack of game-specific knowledge in UCT is thus both a benefit but also a strategic disadvantage. Pattern recognition techniques, specifically Neural Networks (NN), were identified as a means of addressing the lack of game-specific knowledge in UCT. Through a novel hybridisation technique which combines UCT and trained NNs for pruning, the UCTNN algorithm was derived. The NN component of UCT-NN was trained using a UCT self-play scheme to generate game-specific knowledge without the need to construct and manage game databases for training purposes. The UCT-NN algorithm is outlined for pruning in the game of Go-Moku as a candidate case-study for this research. The UCT-NN algorithm contained three major parameters which emerged from the UCT algorithm, the use of NNs and the pruning schemes considered. Suitable methods for finding candidate values for these three parameters were outlined and applied to the game of Go-Moku on a 5 by 5 board. An empirical investigation of the playing performance of UCT-NN was conducted in comparison to UCT through three benchmarks. The benchmarks comprise a common randomly moving opponent, a common UCTmax player which is given a large amount of playing time, and a pair-wise tournament between UCT-NN and UCT. The results of the performance evaluation for 5 by 5 Go-Moku were promising, which prompted an evaluation of a larger 9 by 9 Go-Moku board. The results of both evaluations indicate that the time allocated to the UCT-NN algorithm directly affects its performance when compared to UCT. The UCT-NN algorithm generally performs better than UCT in games with very limited time-constraints in all benchmarks considered except when playing against a randomly moving player in 9 by 9 Go-Moku. In real-time and near-real-time Go-Moku games, UCT-NN provides statistically significant improvements compared to UCT. The findings of this research contribute to the realisation of applying game-specific knowledge to the UCT algorithm.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
A mathematics rendering model to support chat-based tutoring
- Authors: Haskins, Bertram Peter
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Intelligent tutoring systems , Educational innovations , Tutors and tutoring
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9822 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020567
- Description: Dr Math is a math tutoring service implemented on the chat application Mxit. The service allows school learners to use their mobile phones to discuss mathematicsrelated topics with human tutors. Using the broad user-base provided by Mxit, the Dr Math service has grown to consist of tens of thousands of registered school learners. The tutors on the service are all volunteers and the learners far outnumber the available tutors at any given time. School learners on the service use a shorthand language-form called microtext, to phrase their queries. Microtext is an informal form of language which consists of a variety of misspellings and symbolic representations, which emerge spontaneously as a result of the idiosyncrasies of a learner. The specific form of microtext found on the Dr Math service contains mathematical questions and example equations, pertaining to the tutoring process. Deciphering the queries, to discover their embedded mathematical content, slows down the tutoring process. This wastes time that could have been spent addressing more learner queries. The microtext language thus creates an unnecessary burden on the tutors. This study describes the development of an automated process for the translation of Dr Math microtext queries into mathematical equations. Using the design science research paradigm as a guide, three artefacts are developed. These artefacts take the form of a construct, a model and an instantiation. The construct represents the creation of new knowledge as it provides greater insight into the contents and structure of the language found on a mobile mathematics tutoring service. The construct serves as the basis for the creation of a model for the translation of microtext queries into mathematical equations, formatted for display in an electronic medium. No such technique currently exists and therefore, the model contributes new knowledge. To validate the model, an instantiation was created to serve as a proof-of-concept. The instantiation applies various concepts and techniques, such as those related to natural language processing, to the learner queries on the Dr Math service. These techniques are employed in order to translate an input microtext statement into a mathematical equation, structured by using mark-up language. The creation of the instantiation thus constitutes a knowledge contribution, as most of these techniques have never been applied to the problem of translating microtext into mathematical equations. For the automated process to have utility, it should perform on a level comparable to that of a human performing a similar translation task. To determine how closely related the results from the automated process are to those of a human, three human participants were asked to perform coding and translation tasks. The results of the human participants were compared to the results of the automated process, across a variety of metrics, including agreement, correlation, precision, recall and others. The results from the human participants served as the baseline values for comparison. The baseline results from the human participants were compared with those of the automated process. Krippendorff’s α was used to determine the level of agreement and Pearson’s correlation coefficient to determine the level of correlation between the results. The agreement between the human participants and the automated process was calculated at a level deemed satisfactory for exploratory research and the level of correlation was calculated as moderate. These values correspond with the calculations made as the human baseline. Furthermore, the automated process was able to meet or improve on all of the human baseline metrics. These results serve to validate that the automated process is able to perform the translation at a level comparable to that of a human. The automated process is available for integration into any requesting application, by means of a publicly accessible web service.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Haskins, Bertram Peter
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Intelligent tutoring systems , Educational innovations , Tutors and tutoring
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9822 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020567
- Description: Dr Math is a math tutoring service implemented on the chat application Mxit. The service allows school learners to use their mobile phones to discuss mathematicsrelated topics with human tutors. Using the broad user-base provided by Mxit, the Dr Math service has grown to consist of tens of thousands of registered school learners. The tutors on the service are all volunteers and the learners far outnumber the available tutors at any given time. School learners on the service use a shorthand language-form called microtext, to phrase their queries. Microtext is an informal form of language which consists of a variety of misspellings and symbolic representations, which emerge spontaneously as a result of the idiosyncrasies of a learner. The specific form of microtext found on the Dr Math service contains mathematical questions and example equations, pertaining to the tutoring process. Deciphering the queries, to discover their embedded mathematical content, slows down the tutoring process. This wastes time that could have been spent addressing more learner queries. The microtext language thus creates an unnecessary burden on the tutors. This study describes the development of an automated process for the translation of Dr Math microtext queries into mathematical equations. Using the design science research paradigm as a guide, three artefacts are developed. These artefacts take the form of a construct, a model and an instantiation. The construct represents the creation of new knowledge as it provides greater insight into the contents and structure of the language found on a mobile mathematics tutoring service. The construct serves as the basis for the creation of a model for the translation of microtext queries into mathematical equations, formatted for display in an electronic medium. No such technique currently exists and therefore, the model contributes new knowledge. To validate the model, an instantiation was created to serve as a proof-of-concept. The instantiation applies various concepts and techniques, such as those related to natural language processing, to the learner queries on the Dr Math service. These techniques are employed in order to translate an input microtext statement into a mathematical equation, structured by using mark-up language. The creation of the instantiation thus constitutes a knowledge contribution, as most of these techniques have never been applied to the problem of translating microtext into mathematical equations. For the automated process to have utility, it should perform on a level comparable to that of a human performing a similar translation task. To determine how closely related the results from the automated process are to those of a human, three human participants were asked to perform coding and translation tasks. The results of the human participants were compared to the results of the automated process, across a variety of metrics, including agreement, correlation, precision, recall and others. The results from the human participants served as the baseline values for comparison. The baseline results from the human participants were compared with those of the automated process. Krippendorff’s α was used to determine the level of agreement and Pearson’s correlation coefficient to determine the level of correlation between the results. The agreement between the human participants and the automated process was calculated at a level deemed satisfactory for exploratory research and the level of correlation was calculated as moderate. These values correspond with the calculations made as the human baseline. Furthermore, the automated process was able to meet or improve on all of the human baseline metrics. These results serve to validate that the automated process is able to perform the translation at a level comparable to that of a human. The automated process is available for integration into any requesting application, by means of a publicly accessible web service.
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- Date Issued: 2014