Carina de Villiers

Teaching of a computer literacy course in South Africa: A case study using traditional and co-operative learning

Abstract The Department of Informatics at the University of Pretoria in South Africa has been involved in a research project funded by the Foundation for Research and Development (FRD) since 1996. The main focus of this project is to establish computer‐supported co‐operative learning centres in various rural communities. The case study described in this paper discusses a part of this project that was undertaken during 1998. The paper outlines the computer literacy course where co‐operative learning and traditional learning methods were used. A discussion about co‐operative learning and traditional learning, with specific reference to the implementation of the two methods at SEIDET, is presented. An outline of the research results based on a questionnaire completed by the teachers who took part in the case study, is given. Although most of the teachers preferred the traditional and known method of teaching that was used for the MsExcel part of the course, they indicated that they have learnt more using the co‐operative learning method.

Communities in control of their own integrated technology development processes

This article studies technology-driven, development-focused initiatives (information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) projects) at a community level in South Africa. This study forms part of the existing debate on ICT4D project success and suggests answers toward accelerating ICT4D projects’ growth toward maturity and sustainability. Concerns that receive attention include the level of ownership and control taken by members of benefiting local communities in ICT4D projects, the level of social embeddedness of ICT4D projects, and a revision of the concept of sustainability within the ICT4D context. A detailed case study that compares two similar ICT4D projects influencing four local communities, focusing on educational institutions within the communities in South Africa, provides the foundation for this article. Adjustments are made to the Five Stages Maturity Model for ICT projects (Leem et al., 2008) and then used to guide our critical discussion regarding each communitys relationship with the information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) projects currently running within each society, and how these relationships can be matured and sustained. Findings include a discussion of the importance of direct and diffused increases in freedom resulting from an ICT4D project and the often discounted role of recognition, celebration of achievements within the local community, and media involvement in the maturity, and hence sustainability, of ICT4D projects.

A South African perspective of the international discourse about women in information technology

Currently there is a declining participation of women in Information Technology (IT) education and profession internationally. This article builds on international research - the international discourse about women in IT - by performing a critical interpretive analysis of the South African situation. The aim is to understand if South African women experience similar levels of career problems in the IT industry compared to international trends. In the analysis the experiences of women and the context of the international IT industry is taken into consideration. The authors furthermore investigate what attracts women in South Africa to the IT industry. Data was collected and analysed from women working in the IT industry in South Africa by means of an anonymous online questionnaires consisting of open- and close-ended questions. The authors critically challenge the results from the interpretive analysis. This study can be used to gain more insight and understanding of the current situation in South Africa, but it can also contribute to communities such as feminists, academia, practitioners or governments in the creation of an emancipation theory or a series of interventions to improve the situation for women in the South African IT industry.

Increasing the Quality and Quantity of Tertiary-Level Information Systems Students: A Graduate Development Framework

This article forms part of research-in-progress aimed toward creating a comprehensive graduate development framework that will assist Information Systems (IS) departments in increasing the quality and quantity of their enrollments and graduates. In this article, we present the IS Graduate Development Framework (ISGDF). This framework combines concepts from four related fields of IS study into a single framework for identifying the graduate development potential of IS institutions, courses, and development projects. These four fields of study are: (i) Information and Communication Technology for Development, (ii) economic labor market theory that relates to IS labor, (iii) a study of IS education concepts and course structures, and (iv) a study of IS labor within the creative industries. We present the ISGDF based on literature from these fields of study and show how this framework can be applied by means of a comprehensive case study example. The case study gives a detailed account of how the framework was used to identify, and improve, the graduate development potential of an IS graduate development project. Findings from the case study include several areas for possible improvement of IS curricula to increase the graduate development potential of IS departments. Although the case study was conducted in a South African context, we suggest that the ISGDF, and case study findings report in this article, can be useful for informing IS departments toward increasing graduate quality and quantity in their own contexts.

Continuing the Discourse of Women in Information Technology A South African Perspective

Abstract Currently, there is a worldwide decline in the participation of women in the information technology (IT) profession and education. This article continues the existing discourse on women in IT by discussing the South African domestic and IT work environments. The aim is to understand whether South African women experience similar levels of career problems in the IT industry as their international counterparts. Using critical interpretive analysis, we used the experiences of 48 women working in the private sector IT firms to investigate not only what attracts women in South Africa to the IT industry but also what discourages them from following a career in this field. The data were collected by means of an anonymous online questionnaire consisting of open- and close-ended questions. This study provides an insight into the impact of domestic influences on women in the IT industry in South Africa. It also contributes to communities, such as, feminists, academia, practitioners, or governments, in the creation of an emancipation theory or a series of interventions to improve the situation for women in the South African IT industry.

Traceability systems in Swaziland and Namibia: Improving access to markets with digital information

With traceability systems becoming increasingly important, Swaziland and Namibia invested heavily in traceability systems, and achieved sufficient meat traceability for them to be able to export to countries in Europe and other parts of the world. The projects now include communal farmers, farmers who were previously excluded from this initiative. Case studies and interviews with key role players confirmed that the projects are sustainable, and that communal farmers are benefitting, but that further research is required to determine the full scope of the benefits. Farmers still need to be better educated and more funds are needed to better the working conditions of the veterinary assistants in Swaziland. However, the projects are ensuring that people will have safe meat to eat, not only for now, but also in the future.

Teaching Green Information Technology Inside and Outside the Classroom: An Undergraduate Case-Study in the South African Context

One socio-economic and environmental challenge facing the leaders of tomorrow is how Green Information Technology can be applied effectively by organisations to contribute to the global green revolution. The author teaches 1500 undergraduate students yearly about Green Information Technology to influence awareness positively in terms of efficient ways that computer resources can be used. In order to facilitate this process, the author supplemented the theory component with a practical assignment leveraging a number of interactive learning tools, including: social networking, on-line collaboration, and 3-D programming. These tools can be classified as one of the components of social computing. Social computing is seen as the convergence of information technology with social behaviour, and the resulting interactions. The tools used include: Alice©, Facebook©, and pbWiki©. The students were tasked with creating an animation using Alice© teaching people about Green Information Technology. Upon completion of the assignment, a questionnaire was distributed in order to ascertain what their view of Green Information Technology was. This paper details the nature of the Green Information Technology teaching techniques that were employed and details the findings of the questionnaire. The paper merges theory and practical aspects of teaching Green IT and provides educators and researchers with insight in terms of interactive teaching tools that can be employed.

Creating an ICT Skills Enhancement Environment for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship is seen as a primary tool in the fight against unemployment, poverty and social inequality. Although various entrepreneurial training models exist, many of these have not considered the influence of current information and communication technology (ICT), even though ICT is a contemporary tool that entrepreneurs can leverage to increase the likelihood of a successful and sustainable business. This study therefore considered one entrepreneurship model that has been successful in entrepreneurial training in South Africa, the “content model for entrepreneurship education” (E/P), and investigated how ICT could be incorporated into this. The findings of 33 participants, who had been trained using the E/P model, suggest that, while many are familiar with most of the proposed ICT software programs, they do not necessarily incorporate them in practice. Linking ICT to the business skills section of entrepreneurial training seems to be an appropriate way of making the training practically feasible for participants. However, most of the participants highlighted the need for further guidance through a mentorship programme, for example. Guidance can also take the form of graduate programmes or learnerships. The results of the study clearly show how ICT can be linked to entrepreneurial training interventions, as well as the practical aspects of such a course. They also show that entrepreneurial interventions with high-tech equipment should perhaps not be overlooked, and that the basics first should be mastered.

A framework to define the impact of sustainable ICT for agriculture projects : the Namibian livestock traceability system

Namibia expanded its livestock traceability system to include data of the Northern communal farmers, with ear‐tagging starting in 2010, and full functionality added in 2014. The new technology enables them to export safe meat products to previously‐excluded overseas markets. In this article, the complexities of a livestock traceability system are explained to provide one with a sense of the lengths countries like Namibia went through to successfully implement such a system. Next, a new framework is proposed to apply to agricultural development projects, called the Impact‐for‐sustainable agriculture framework, with all the facets of the framework explained. Finally, the framework is applied to the Namibian Livestock Identification and Traceability System (NamLITS), with the focus on the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs). NamLITS is an example of a successful agricultural development project, and it is hoped that this new framework can be applied to other agricultural initiatives.

The role of the Namibian Livestock Traceability Systems in containing the recent foot-and-mouth disease outbreak: Case study from the Northern parts of Namibia

Namibia suffered the worst outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 40 years during 2015. The entire Northern Communal Areas were quarantined with a complete ban being enforced on the movement of all cattle to and from these areas. The Namibian Livestock Identification and Traceability System (NamLITS) was used to minimize the impact of this outbreak and made free trade possible once again by using its advanced functionalities illustrating its effectiveness.