Education Commons^™

Changing The Habitat At Academic Conferences: Using A Learning Ecosystem With Active Learning During A Panel Presentation, Gail Morton, Lee Olson, Stephanie Miranda, Adam Griggs, Kristen Bailey, Christian Pham, Kathryn Wright

Georgia Library Quarterly

Abstract

In order to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of an active learning event during a panel presentation at an academic conference, Mercer University librarians presenting at the Georgia Libraries Conference switched the traditional way panel presentations are modeled. Instead of the question and answer session following a brief overview of the presentation, we moved our physical position in the room, closer to the participants in order to have a more intimate conversation with attendees. Using two active learning techniques, discussion and brainstorming, the presenters started a conversation with attendees about project ideas involving teaching faculty members, librarians, and students …

Tracing Sources Of Design Uncertainty And Controversy In Web 2.0 Facilitated Collaborative Design Process, Lockias Chitanana Dr, Desmond Wesley Govender Dr

The African Journal of Information Systems

The integration of Internet-based collaborative tools such as Web 2.0 technologies to facilitate the design process has rendered collaborative design a chaotic practice filled with controversy and uncertainty, with the inevitable risk of unintended consequences. The purpose of this study was to trace the sources of design controversy in a Web 2.0 facilitated collaborative design process. The study employed an Actor Network Theory (ANT) methodological framework to explore design controversy in five design teams comprising of 4 to 6 undergraduate engineering students. Data was constituted by following the traces left by the actors, both human and nonhumans, their actions and …

An Evaluation Of Educational Values Of Youtube Videos For Academic Writing, Gbolahan Olasina

The African Journal of Information Systems

The aim is to assess the impact of YouTube videos about academic writing and its skills on the writing performance of students. Theoretical perspectives from constructivism and associated learning models are used to inform the purpose of the research. The contextual setting is matriculation students awaiting admission to higher institutions. The population is 40 students belonging to a class aimed at assisting disadvantaged students in their academic writing in Scottsville, Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The students are broken into two groups – control/traditional teaching and the treatment/YouTube facilitated groups. Consequently, a dominant qualitative approach is adopted using focus group …

The Role Of Educational Technology In Design And Delivery Of Curricula Programmes: A Case Of Steps At A University Of Technology, Patient Rambe Dr

The African Journal of Information Systems

While Universities of Technologies (UoTs) regard the adoption of educational technology for the creation of effective learning environments as one of their defining features, there is limited research on these universities’ innovative use of technologies to transform their curricula design and delivery. This research explores the extent to which educational technology has been integrated into the implementation of new and recurriculated educational programmes under the Strategic Transformation of Educational Programmes and Structures (STEPS) at a UoT. The research employed document analysis and interview data from middle level managers (Deans), curriculum designers and educational technologists. The findings suggest that, except for …

When My Sub-Editor Is A Nit-Picking Bot: Mediating Roles Of A Tv News Scriptwriting Exercise, Andrew Deacon, Catherine Wynsculley

The African Journal of Information Systems

Online learning activities have promised new ways to engage students. This paper describes the design and use of the NewsScripts online learning exercise over a decade. This web-based television news scriptwriting exercise is used with media students at the University of Cape Town to expose them to news scriptwriting practices. Students write a script to match a video, employing a television news writing style. The more important transformational opportunity is deepening students’ own critical media analysis skills. Our focus is how the NewsScripts design evolved and changed over time to remain part of the curriculum. Underlying the curricula of university …

Towards A Shared Understanding Of Emerging Technologies: Experiences In A Collaborative Research Project In South Africa, Daniela Gachago, Eunice Ivala, Judy Backhouse, Jan Petrus Bosman, Vivienne Bozalek, Dick Ng’Ambi

The African Journal of Information Systems

While the practice of using educational technologies in Higher Education is increasingly common among educators, there is a paucity of research on innovative uses of emerging technologies to transform teaching and learning. This paper draws on data collected as part of a larger study aimed at investigating emerging technologies and their use in South African Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to improve teaching and learning. The research employed a mixed method research design, using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods—quantitative data from a survey of 262 respondents from 22 public HEIs in South Africa and qualitative data gathered from 16 …

Considering Two Audiences When Recording Lectures As Lecturecasts, Brandon I. Collier-Reed

The African Journal of Information Systems

This article presents the outcome of an investigation into the provision of lecturecasts to students. The objective was to ensure that both those who attended live lectures of a second-year engineering course and/or watched recorded versions of the lectures had an experience that supported their learning. A range of data was drawn on including the personal reflection of the lecturer of the course, questionnaires, and student interviews. The qualitative data were analysed through an inductive process that drew on the principles of grounded theory and the findings that emerged included the role of the “talking head” in recordings, balancing the …

Integrating Information Literacy Instruction In An Upper-Division Writing-Intensive Class, Ellen K. Wilson, Jeffrey M. Blankenship

The Southeastern Librarian

Writing-intensive courses are a required component of undergraduate education at the University of South Alabama, but often the courses are designed to test students’ writing skills, rather than to teach the research and writing process. In the fall of 2008, an instruction librarian and an assistant professor in political science collaborated to redesign one writing intensive course, Public Administration (PSC 401), in an attempt to address this dilemma. This project was born out of frustration – frustration on the part of the professor about the generally poor quality of writing and research skills by students in the course the previous …

An Innovative Approach For Creating A Self-Guided Video Tour In An Academic Library, John H. Sandy, Mangala Krishnamurthy, Wayne Rau

The Southeastern Librarian

Millions of students visit academic libraries each year, hoping to achieve success in the classroom and make progress with their research. Many of these students need help in navigating the complex services, collections, and facilities of a large academic library. Librarians often respond to this need by offering in-person orientation tours. However, with this approach, library personnel are unable to reach all who need assistance. Furthermore, the schedules of busy students and busy librarians do not always coincide, and students may prefer to learn about the library in a more flexible, self-paced fashion. It’s known that in-person tours are a …

Employee Development Using Webct Vista, Jennifer Link Jones

Georgia Library Quarterly

The article reports on the technology upgrade at Georgia State University Library in Atlanta, Goergia. It offers a look at renovations of its facilities and exterior. More than 350 computers were installed in its new Information Commons and Learning Commons. The library officials jointly worked with the school's Information Systems & Technology department and established two computer technical support desk within the library. It is noted that its library employees need to further their knowledge and undergo training about various issues in library science. It also explores various library technology issues, which include public services technology competencies, construction of learning …

Building Collaborative Reference And Instructional Services For Distance Education Students, Angela P. Whitehurst, Carolyn N. Willis

The Southeastern Librarian

To meet the needs of rigorous educational programs, academic libraries must make a commitment to serve growing distance education (DE) populations. Students who participate in distance education are typically older, nontraditional students with unique characteristics who need special services provided by their university library in order to obtain an education equal to their on-campus counterparts. Creating a successful reference and instructional service for distance education students not only takes planning, collaboration, and assessment, but also requires knowing your audience, constantly experimenting with new technologies, expecting the unexpected, and being ready to problem-solve at a moment’s notice. In this article, the …

Webquest: A Solution For Online Learning, Ellen W. Wiley

The Southeastern Librarian

Designing and developing meaningful and engaging online activities presents a challenge when preparing to teach a totally online course for the first time. How do you structure the activities so that the learner can focus on the content instead of the delivery system? How do you effectively communicate the content and activity instructions so that the learner can easily follow the flow of information? These are two of the questions that must be asked as one approaches the design and development of a totally online course.