Browsing by Subject "Digital literacy"

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A case study of the digital literacy practices in a grade 10 English classroom at a private school.
(2009-01-09T09:42:05Z) Skudowitz, Joanne
This study aimed to investigate the extent to which a class of grade 10 students at a private, co-educational school in Johannesburg, South Africa, are digitally literate and how they engage with digital technology both inside and outside the classroom. The study also aimed to explore some implications of these students‟ digital literacy practices for the teaching of English at the school. Data were collected from interviews and from questionnaires completed by the students. Students also wrote digital literacy histories. The main finding is that the participants in the study are digitally literate and engage with digital technology on a day-to-day basis. They are the lap generation (Tapscott, 1998) as they are lapping their parents and teachers with regard to their knowledge and use of digital technology. This use occurs primarily in their out-of-school, or social, environments and is not being drawn on substantively in the classroom, even in a well-resourced school.
The challenges of rural connectivity: eight case studies of Thusong Service Centres in Mopani District
(2015-03-02) Magoro, Kgopotso Ditshego
The research aimed to investigate the supply and demand side factors that enables or hinders the effectiveness of rural connectivity provided through public access points such as the Thusong Service Centres (TSCs). The lack of broadband and terrestrial infrastructure is often cited as the main reason why rural people are not able to participate in the information society. The status of the Mopani District rural connectivity indicates that the digital divide is not always due to the lack of infrastructure, but due to the etic approach towards the deployment of connectivity and the failure to locate rural connectivity within the broader community development goals. The failure to understand the user requirements contributes to the misconception that Very Small Apparatus Terminals (VSAT) satellite technology is an inadequate solution which must be replaced by fixed broadband. On the other hand, the failure of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) blueprint indicates the poor level of e-government readiness within the public service sector. The status of the Mopani TSCs also shows that there is a lack of accountability, cooperation and collaboration across the three spheres of government and that there is a misuse of public funds in cases where connectivity resources are duplicated and not optimally used. The separation of the public service connectivity from the public connectivity creates the digital inequality in the targeted communities. The separation has resulted in connectivity being available to some and not to all, because accessibility is based on personal relationships. In other cases there is constructed denied access due to local politics. 16 years later since the establishment of the Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA), the South African Community Informatics (CI) sector is struggling to achieve outputs that produce the desired impact in the targeted communities.
Digital banking penetration in underserved communities in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Mdluli, Ntokozo; Totowa, Jacques
This purpose of this research paper is to investigate the impact that the closing of bank branches and the influence of digital banking as an alternative has on the banking population in underserved communities. For the purposes of the study, these communities are those that face barriers and challenges in gaining access to and using resources. Access to electricity, problems with broadband infrastructure or internet connectivity, employment, language, and literacy are just a few of the issues. With the rapid rate of bank branch closures globally and in South Africa, which are due to a variety of factors such as operational cost savings for banking institutions, looting unrest that resulted in property destruction, and the rate of digitalization, underserved communities are at risk of becoming financially excluded. The study sought to answer four research questions. Understanding the factors that influence underserved communities' banking activities, investigating the impact of traditional banking channel closures such as bank branches on underserved communities, determining whether the traditional banking channel closures result in financial exclusion of underserved communities, and making recommendations to banking institutions on how to lessen the impact of traditional banking channel closures. As part of the study, the researcher used a quantitative research approach, distributing a questionnaire to 179 members of underserved communities across South Africa. The key findings of the research showed that the results for two out of four hypotheses were statistically significant. We were able to show that the closure of bank branches increases the use of digital banking in underserved communities and may result in financial exclusion of people in underserved communities. In contrast to the literature review findings, we discovered that bank branches have no influence or impact on the community in underserved areas, and that issues with electricity and internet connectivity, a lack of digital literacy, and security concerns do not prevent underserved communities from using digital banking
E-learning assessment framework for the public service sector
(Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA), 2021) Centre for Researching Education & Labour (REAL); University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
The purpose of this research project was to develop an understanding of the change drivers and difficulties linked to implementing e-learning in the South African Public Service Sector in line with policy imperatives and global trends. The project aimed to investigate specific challenges and contextual variables that need to be addressed to strengthen skills development within the public sector. It also aimed to explore how to enhance ways in which the public sector utilises e-learning to upskill and re-skill its workforce. The research was undertaken over a 12-month period, from September 2020 to September 2021, and involved five main phases. Phase One comprised the inception and orientation of the project. The second phase involved a literature review on e-learning including an analysis of relevant public sector documents, reports, and policies on e-learning practices within the public and private sector. This contextual profile describes e-learning practices in the sector and enabled us to structure the public e-learning system as an activity system. The third phase consisted of the development of mediating tools including a comprehensive evaluation tool to offer a potential way forward to enhance strategic planning implementation for e-learning. This will assist with addressing the challenges faced by the public sector in terms of training and the processes of change involved in transitioning the conceptualisation of e-learning to contextualised capacity building. The e-learning criteria framework provides basic guidelines for designing an optimum e-learning experience in the public sector. The elearning review tool (Appendix A) supports and complements the criteria as a tool for analysis of the e-learning programme. The e-learning criteria and tool were sent to ten e-learning experts in the same field of research for comments on further development and improvement. Phase Four consisted of data analysis. Insights from stakeholder engagement and framework development processes were assessed and key emergent themes to inform the e-learning needs of the public sector were identified. In the final phase the findings were reviewed and recommendations proposed and the final report presented here is based on reviewer feedback.
The influence of digital literacy initiatives in South Africa : a Nemisa case study
(2022) Moleko, Letlotlo Kenneth
The aim of the study the Influence of digital literacy initiatives in South Africa. The study focuses on the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA which was initiated in 1998 with the core purpose of being an education, learning and technical skills centre for the Television, Radio and Broadcasting industries. Studies on the influence of digital literacy initiatives in South Africa are limited. Therefore, a need exists for a thorough understanding of these digital literacy initiatives' influence in improving economic and job opportunities for the target user groups. A qualitative case study research methodology was used to establish deeper insights and perspectives from multiple stakeholders to ensure a holistic and in depth view of these initiatives within their natural context. 14 individuals were interviewed and 6 of the of the respondents were current and former students of NEMISA. The research study adopted the Multiliteracies framework as a means for understanding how the evolution of technology impacts the learning context and identify ways to improve digital literacy in the cultural context of South Africa. The research study uncovered six key themes which comprised namely accessibility, e-learning, economic viability, future Skills, lifelong learning and partnerships. The results from this research revealed that digital literacy training provided by NEMISA improved the opportunity to gain job opportunities for students, improved access to institutions of further learning, and aided in motivating lifelong learning. The researcher recommends digital literacy to be introduced at basic, secondary and tertiary education levels