Winner Dominic Chawinga

Taking social media to a university classroom: teaching and learning using Twitter and blogs

Social media has taken many sectors including the higher education by storm. However, with wide spread fears that social media may be a distractor to pedagogy, this paper investigated how social media facilitates teaching and learning. Unlike most prior studies which relied much on soliciting mere views from students and lecturers about their intentions to use or not to use social media, this study incorporated Twitter and blogs into two undergraduate courses offered in the Department of Library and Information Science at Mzuzu University which is a public university in Malawi. Data were collected in two ways: first, analysis of blog and Twitter posts by students and second, a questionnaire was sent to 64 students to find out their perception towards the use of blogs and Twitter in a classroom environment. Results suggest that if appropriately deployed, Twitter and blogs are catalysts for the much hyped learner-centred approach to teaching because using these technologies, it emerged that students shared and discussed course materials, posted their course reflections and interacted amongst themselves and with their lecturer 24/7. Challenges faced include cost of internet data bundles, inaccessible Wi-Fi, poor bandwidths and insufficient computers.

Teaching and learning 24/7 using Twitter in a university classroom: Experiences from a developing country:

It is understood that microblogging (tweeting) which is a form of Web 2.0, has been a centre of attraction in some institutions of higher education. However, despite its hype and pomp as reported by some scholars in developed countries, integration of Twitter in a classroom environment in developing countries is just beginning to flourish. In Malawi for example, it remains unknown how Twitter can be effectively assimilated into a university classroom to enhance teaching and learning. In this study therefore, I report on the findings about the practical use of Twitter in two university courses offered in the Department of Library and Information Science at Mzuzu University in Malawi. Findings of the study show that if properly deployed, Twitter is indeed an impetus of the much hailed learner-centred approach to teaching and learning. With the use of Twitter, I found that students shared and discussed course content with colleagues and me (lecturer) 24/7. Specifically, with the proliferation of Internet enabled phones and other mobile devices in Malawi, the study found that it was possible for students to generate out-of-class discussions and learn from each other without necessarily meeting physically. In addition, students were key contributors to their own learning as it was possible to effectively search, generate and share their own content through creating knowledge collaboratively. However, limited access to the Internet (due to unavailability of Wi-Fi) by students coupled with exorbitant Internet bundles, remain key challenges against the effective appropriation of Twitter in a university classroom.

Mapping an Open Digital University in Malawi: Implications for Africa.

The ubiquity of information and communication technologies (ICTs) have considerably transformed the higher educational landscape and are now providing an increasing number of novel and dynamic pathways for education delivery. The steady growth of flexible and affordable ICTs is impacting upon the higher education domain resulting in a departure from traditional education systems to more technologically driven forms of pedagogy. The purpose of this study was to investigate how best to exploit the available ICT infrastructures to support the creation of an open digital university at Mzuzu University in Malawi and to investigate the implications on a wider African context. The data were collected from lecturers, campus-based undergraduate students, and open and distance learning undergraduate students. The main results reveal that students and lecturers at Mzuzu University are conversant with a plethora of ICTs that can be adopted and customised to create a digital university. In that regard, we conclude that a digital university is possible in Malawi. We further conclude that, considering that African universities operate in mostly similar economic, technological and political landscapes, African universities are ready to embrace the concept of a digital university. This is regardless of the prevailing challenges.

Information needs and barriers of rural smallholder farmers in developing countries: A case study of rural smallholder farmers in Malawi

The purpose of the study was to investigate the information needs and barriers of rural smallholder farmers in Mzimba North in Malawi. A mixed methods approach was adopted for the study and the Wilson’s Model of Information Behaviour (1996) guided the study. A questionnaire and focus group discussion guide were used to collect data from 202 rural smallholder farmers. The study found that the major information need of rural smallholder farmers was crop husbandry as revealed by the majority of rural smallholder farmers 149 (77.6). The study found that majority of rural smallholder farmers 180 (94.8%) were aware of information sources. The study also found that the predominant information sources consulted by rural smallholder farmers were personal experiences as indicated by the majority of rural smallholder farmers 185 (96%). The major challenge faced by rural smallholder farmers was lack of mobility as revealed by the majority of rural smallholder farmers 147 (76.6). The study recommends that the Department of Agriculture Extension Services (DAES) should empower the social structures such as families in rural settings with agricultural information.

A synergy of knowledge management and competitive intelligence: A key for competitive advantage in small and medium business enterprises

With competition becoming more intense and complex, the market orientation perspectives dictate that enterprises whether large or small have one choice if they are to survive the torrent and turbulent market environment in which they operate to upgrade their internal business activities and to integrate events from the external environment. This article is concerned with knowledge management (KM) and competitive intelligence (CI) as springboards for competitive advantage in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, the study investigates how KM and CI can be a source of competitive advantage to SMEs in Mzuzu, Malawi. Based on the findings, we demonstrate the combined effect of KM and CI on the success of enterprises or competitive advantage.

Information behaviour of rural smallholder farmers in some selected developing countries: A literature review

The literature from some selected developing countries has demonstrated that rural smallholder farmers need various information sources in pursuit of their goals of increasing production and improving their living standards. According to the sampled studies, the majority of smallholder farmers access information on crop production. Smallholder farmers are aware of information sources despite challenges faced in accessing and using information. The majority of smallholder farmers access information through personal experiences, family members and friends. Despite access to various information sources, the literature has shown that smallholder farmers face various challenges in accessing and using information sources. The major challenges reported by the literature are lack of mobility, lack of finances, lack of rural information centres, and lack of visits by extension officers. The review has highlighted the lack of literature on the information behaviour of smallholder farmers in Malawi despite the fact that the country is an agricultural economy. The review is adapted from the Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) thesis authored by Austine Phiri at Mzuzu University.