Familiarity with the Covid-19 pandemic-related statistical jargon is a requirement for the layman, who must stay abreast of developments apropos of rate of infection, spread, and mortality rate comprising the pandemic. Such a familiarity, termed statistical literacy (SL) in the related discourse, is increasingly becoming an important aspect of higher education (HE) studentship across universities, internationally. This article offers an extension to the extant theorisations of statistical literacy in the context of Covid-19. Formulation of a solid theoretical rationale for fostering the competency of SL at the HE level is therefore central to this article. The literature offers the notion of critical statistical literacy (CSL) as anchored in a social-justice paradigm. CSL is used here as a starting point for the theoretical extensions proposed in this article. A novel disciplinary idea called “social justice statistics (SJS)” is also introduced. The idea of “critical statistical consciousness (CSC)” as a new proposition for theorising the statistical sensibility of citizens is also put forward. The ways in which CSC rationalises CSL, and foregrounds SJS, are subsequently theorised. CSC, as a broad attribute, quality, or a higher-education trait, is thus positioned in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. These theorisations have implications for the practice of statistics, both at the levels of “producer” and “consumer” of statistical communications that characterise the way in which the pandemic is understood by the layman.
{"title":"\"Critical statistical literacy\", \"Social justice statistics\", and \"Critical statistical consciousness\" as higher education imperatives, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa","authors":"A. Krishnannair, S. Krishnannair","doi":"10.20853/36-1-4509","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-1-4509","url":null,"abstract":"Familiarity with the Covid-19 pandemic-related statistical jargon is a requirement for the layman, who must stay abreast of developments apropos of rate of infection, spread, and mortality rate comprising the pandemic. Such a familiarity, termed statistical literacy (SL) in the related discourse, is increasingly becoming an important aspect of higher education (HE) studentship across universities, internationally. This article offers an extension to the extant theorisations of statistical literacy in the context of Covid-19. Formulation of a solid theoretical rationale for fostering the competency of SL at the HE level is therefore central to this article. The literature offers the notion of critical statistical literacy (CSL) as anchored in a social-justice paradigm. CSL is used here as a starting point for the theoretical extensions proposed in this article. A novel disciplinary idea called “social justice statistics (SJS)” is also introduced. The idea of “critical statistical consciousness (CSC)” as a new proposition for theorising the statistical sensibility of citizens is also put forward. The ways in which CSC rationalises CSL, and foregrounds SJS, are subsequently theorised. CSC, as a broad attribute, quality, or a higher-education trait, is thus positioned in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. These theorisations have implications for the practice of statistics, both at the levels of “producer” and “consumer” of statistical communications that characterise the way in which the pandemic is understood by the layman.","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67714222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B. Mendelowitz, I. Fouché, Y. Reed, G. Andrews, F. Vally Essa
In 2020, when the switch to remote teaching and learning required redesigning asynchronous on-line versions of face-to-face courses, we were concerned about whether access to engaged and dialogic learning could be facilitated in this new space. In attempting to address this concern we asked students in a B Ed Honours course to post, in an online forum, their reflective responses to weekly readings and to each other’s posts. This discussion forum became the engine of the course. With their permission, the posts of students in the 2021 cohort, together with their summative reflective reading response assignment, were analysed in order to understand different kinds of dialogic interactions and their affordances for reducing the potential alienation of asynchronous learning. One of the key findings that emerged from this analysis is the role of dialogic interaction in facilitating the development of personal, professional and scholarly voices which contributed to epistemic access. Our analysis was informed by the theoretical work of Bakhtin on the dialogic and by theoretical and empirical work of scholars in the field of critical pedagogies. We use examples from the writing of a ‘stronger’ and a ‘weaker’ student to illustrate how students negotiated roles and positions for themselves by appropriating and using the textual resources available on the forum. We argue for the value of sustained practice in ‘writing about reading’, of reading each other’s writing and of ‘writing back’ to one another on-line, for the gradual acquisition of a range of confident voices and for enhanced understanding of module content.
{"title":"Postgraduate pedagogy in pandemic times: Online forums as facilitators of access to dialogic interaction and scholarly voices","authors":"B. Mendelowitz, I. Fouché, Y. Reed, G. Andrews, F. Vally Essa","doi":"10.20853/36-4-5191","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-4-5191","url":null,"abstract":"In 2020, when the switch to remote teaching and learning required redesigning asynchronous on-line versions of face-to-face courses, we were concerned about whether access to engaged and dialogic learning could be facilitated in this new space. In attempting to address this concern we asked students in a B Ed Honours course to post, in an online forum, their reflective responses to weekly readings and to each other’s posts. This discussion forum became the engine of the course. With their permission, the posts of students in the 2021 cohort, together with their summative reflective reading response assignment, were analysed in order to understand different kinds of dialogic interactions and their affordances for reducing the potential alienation of asynchronous learning. One of the key findings that emerged from this analysis is the role of dialogic interaction in facilitating the development of personal, professional and scholarly voices which contributed to epistemic access. Our analysis was informed by the theoretical work of Bakhtin on the dialogic and by theoretical and empirical work of scholars in the field of critical pedagogies. We use examples from the writing of a ‘stronger’ and a ‘weaker’ student to illustrate how students negotiated roles and positions for themselves by appropriating and using the textual resources available on the forum. We argue for the value of sustained practice in ‘writing about reading’, of reading each other’s writing and of ‘writing back’ to one another on-line, for the gradual acquisition of a range of confident voices and for enhanced understanding of module content.","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"131 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67714464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
An unprecedented amount of disruption to life in general and higher education in particular resulted from the unexpected onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in late 2019. In Zimbabwe, cases of infection and the first victim of the pandemic were reported when the first semester of the 2020 academic year had just started in March. There is paucity of literature, at the time of writing this article, on Zimbabwe higher education students’ experiences of COVID-19 induced online education. To fill this lacuna, this article explored the effects of COVID-19 on higher education, with special focus on Family and Religious Studies (FRS) final year students at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU). The aim was to explore level 4.2 FRS students’ experiences when they were suddenly confronted with a COVID-19 induced online education. Adopting a qualitative research design where online interviews and a questionnaire were carried out with a sample of 20 male and 22 female students, we collected the students’ experiences of the COVID-19 induced online education in the teaching and learning of FRS online, identified the students’ coping strategies in dealing with COVID-19 induced online education, and solicited from the students their recommendations for a user-friendly online education. Employing the Just-In-Time Learning theory as the lens to analyse data, the students revealed that COVID-19 has had both negative and positive impacts on higher education in a developing country set up. We argue that while students and lecturers were confronted with numerous challenges in embracing COVID-19 induced-online education, they equally benefitted from the undertaking. We recommend that the University provides an enabling online teaching and learning environment and should prioritise robust training of academic staff and students on the use of online teaching and learning platforms.
{"title":"The effects of COVID -19 on higher education: Experiences of Family and Religious Studies final year students at Great Zimbabwe University","authors":"D. Mashonganyika, T. Muyambo","doi":"10.20853/36-4-5240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-4-5240","url":null,"abstract":"An unprecedented amount of disruption to life in general and higher education in particular resulted from the unexpected onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in late 2019. In Zimbabwe, cases of infection and the first victim of the pandemic were reported when the first semester of the 2020 academic year had just started in March. There is paucity of literature, at the time of writing this article, on Zimbabwe higher education students’ experiences of COVID-19 induced online education. To fill this lacuna, this article explored the effects of COVID-19 on higher education, with special focus on Family and Religious Studies (FRS) final year students at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU). The aim was to explore level 4.2 FRS students’ experiences when they were suddenly confronted with a COVID-19 induced online education. Adopting a qualitative research design where online interviews and a questionnaire were carried out with a sample of 20 male and 22 female students, we collected the students’ experiences of the COVID-19 induced online education in the teaching and learning of FRS online, identified the students’ coping strategies in dealing with COVID-19 induced online education, and solicited from the students their recommendations for a user-friendly online education. Employing the Just-In-Time Learning theory as the lens to analyse data, the students revealed that COVID-19 has had both negative and positive impacts on higher education in a developing country set up. We argue that while students and lecturers were confronted with numerous challenges in embracing COVID-19 induced-online education, they equally benefitted from the undertaking. We recommend that the University provides an enabling online teaching and learning environment and should prioritise robust training of academic staff and students on the use of online teaching and learning platforms.","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"126 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67714966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The primary objective of this study was to investigate the self-perceived competencies acquired by humanities graduates at a South African university. This self-assessment enables graduates to assess their strengths and weaknesses regarding their competencies and estimate their employability. The secondary objective was to measure the employment status of humanities graduates. The study followed a quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey design. The convenience sampling method was used since the self-administered questionnaire was distributed to graduates at two graduation ceremonies. Independent samples t-tests were done to compare the mean scores on the six dimensions of the competencies scale between gender, schools and degrees. Chi-square tests were done to establish whether there are associations between gender, faculty schools, degrees and employment status. Spearman rank-order correlation was performed to measure the correlations between the six factors of the competencies scale. The six individual competencies that scored the highest means were: “(1) tolerance, appreciation of different points of view, (2) written communication skills, (3) critical thinking, (4) English language proficiency, (5) working in a team, and (6) taking responsibility for decisions”. A follow-up study should be done among employers to determine what competencies they require from humanities graduates.
{"title":"Investigating the self-perceived acquired competencies of humanities graduates at a South African university","authors":"P. A. Botha, A. Botha","doi":"10.20853/36-2-4170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-2-4170","url":null,"abstract":"The primary objective of this study was to investigate the self-perceived competencies acquired by humanities graduates at a South African university. This self-assessment enables graduates to assess their strengths and weaknesses regarding their competencies and estimate their employability. The secondary objective was to measure the employment status of humanities graduates. The study followed a quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey design. The convenience sampling method was used since the self-administered questionnaire was distributed to graduates at two graduation ceremonies. Independent samples t-tests were done to compare the mean scores on the six dimensions of the competencies scale between gender, schools and degrees. Chi-square tests were done to establish whether there are associations between gender, faculty schools, degrees and employment status. Spearman rank-order correlation was performed to measure the correlations between the six factors of the competencies scale. The six individual competencies that scored the highest means were: “(1) tolerance, appreciation of different points of view, (2) written communication skills, (3) critical thinking, (4) English language proficiency, (5) working in a team, and (6) taking responsibility for decisions”. A follow-up study should be done among employers to determine what competencies they require from humanities graduates.","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67713803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Under COVID-19 lockdown conditions, the imposition of social distancing and restricted mobility, disrupted the traditional way of assessment in higher education. The closed book examination, conducted under proctored conditions, had to be substituted for the online open book examination (OOBE), posing challenges to both conventional and Open Distance Learning (ODL) institutions. The OOBE became a new experience to lecturers and students. Considering COVID-19 as a potential catalyst for educational transformation, the experiences gained in this format of assessment presents a valuable frame of reference for future learning. The aim is to extract lessons from this innovative learning experience to inform future assessment practices. The study is set in the context of a B.Ed. (Hons) compulsory module, offered at an Open Distance Learning (ODL) institution in South Africa. It is guided by the research question: “what were students’ experiences of their first online, open-book final examination and what are the implications for policy, practice and research?” This is a qualitative study, using as data, student emails on their experiences of the OOBE. The results show that the OOBE is an innovative assessment practice in higher education, in need of deeper understanding and (re)training. We conclude that the OOBE offers transformational opportunities in higher education assessment practices, to replace the traditional closed-book examination. We make recommendations to assist lecturers and students in approaching the OOBE in future.
{"title":"COVID-19 catalysing assessment transformation: A case of the online open book examination","authors":"M. S., Davids M. N.","doi":"10.20853/36-3-4732","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-3-4732","url":null,"abstract":"Under COVID-19 lockdown conditions, the imposition of social distancing and restricted mobility, disrupted the traditional way of assessment in higher education. The closed book examination, conducted under proctored conditions, had to be substituted for the online open book examination (OOBE), posing challenges to both conventional and Open Distance Learning (ODL) institutions. The OOBE became a new experience to lecturers and students. Considering COVID-19 as a potential catalyst for educational transformation, the experiences gained in this format of assessment presents a valuable frame of reference for future learning. The aim is to extract lessons from this innovative learning experience to inform future assessment practices. The study is set in the context of a B.Ed. (Hons) compulsory module, offered at an Open Distance Learning (ODL) institution in South Africa. It is guided by the research question: “what were students’ experiences of their first online, open-book final examination and what are the implications for policy, practice and research?” This is a qualitative study, using as data, student emails on their experiences of the OOBE. The results show that the OOBE is an innovative assessment practice in higher education, in need of deeper understanding and (re)training. We conclude that the OOBE offers transformational opportunities in higher education assessment practices, to replace the traditional closed-book examination. We make recommendations to assist lecturers and students in approaching the OOBE in future.","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67714689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: The Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro Collaboration programme (NMFCMC) between South Africa and Cuba was established in 1996. South African students, undergo five years of medical training in Cuba and finish the final eighteen months of training in South Africa. These students experience academic difficulties on their return. Methods: All twelve NMFCMC students enrolled at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2015 participated in this study. Data were elicited using focus group interviews, narrative interviews, found photovoice and the Collage Life Story Elicitation Technique. Results: Challenges faced by participants resulted in identity discrepancy, which in turn promoted unfavourable attitudes, affect, psychological and physical behaviours towards participants’ belongingness. Conclusion: Returning NMFCMC students experienced difficulties in assimilation due to identity discrepancies and frustrated sense of belonging. Focusing on reinforcing positive aspects of identity, and interpersonal relationships through moderating the tendency of local teachers and students to emphasise the “otherness” of the NMFCMC student is crucial. Keywords: medical education, discrepancy theory, consequences of identity incongruence, sense of belonging, Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration Programme, South Africa
{"title":"Self-identity discrepancy theory: Exploring returning South African Cuban-trained medical students sense of belonging","authors":"B. Donda, V. Singaram, R. Hift","doi":"10.20853/36-6-5526","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-6-5526","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro Collaboration programme (NMFCMC) between South Africa and Cuba was established in 1996. South African students, undergo five years of medical training in Cuba and finish the final eighteen months of training in South Africa. These students experience academic difficulties on their return. Methods: All twelve NMFCMC students enrolled at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2015 participated in this study. Data were elicited using focus group interviews, narrative interviews, found photovoice and the Collage Life Story Elicitation Technique. Results: Challenges faced by participants resulted in identity discrepancy, which in turn promoted unfavourable attitudes, affect, psychological and physical behaviours towards participants’ belongingness. Conclusion: Returning NMFCMC students experienced difficulties in assimilation due to identity discrepancies and frustrated sense of belonging. Focusing on reinforcing positive aspects of identity, and interpersonal relationships through moderating the tendency of local teachers and students to emphasise the “otherness” of the NMFCMC student is crucial. Keywords: medical education, discrepancy theory, consequences of identity incongruence, sense of belonging, Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration Programme, South Africa","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67715617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been on the rampage and severely affected lives of many globally. The disruption resulting from the pandemic cuts across various aspects of the society such as the economic, social, environmental and educational domains. This article specifically explores the impact of COVID-19 on the higher education system in South Africa and also delves into academic challenges experienced by students during the pandemic. The article explores students’ experiences during the pandemic in conjunction with challenges which existed in the higher education system before the advent of COVID-19 owing to the legacy of apartheid, transformational and other developmental issues in the South African context.
{"title":"COVID-19: Exposing unmatched historical disparities in the South African institutions of higher learning","authors":"B. V. Mtshweni","doi":"10.20853/36-1-4507","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-1-4507","url":null,"abstract":"The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been on the rampage and severely affected lives of many globally. The disruption resulting from the pandemic cuts across various aspects of the society such as the economic, social, environmental and educational domains. This article specifically explores the impact of COVID-19 on the higher education system in South Africa and also delves into academic challenges experienced by students during the pandemic. The article explores students’ experiences during the pandemic in conjunction with challenges which existed in the higher education system before the advent of COVID-19 owing to the legacy of apartheid, transformational and other developmental issues in the South African context.","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67714211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The unexpected emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse effects on diverse students’ epistemic access in the context of South African higher education. While this has seen an increasing urge for research to understand epistemic access and success of disadvantaged students, there has not been a specific focus on the issue as it specifically relates to students with disabilities, who are unique in their own way, thereby requiring an intervention that considers their differences. Using the decolonial analytical framework, the article explored the challenges in the pedagogic domain, and their implications for the epistemic access of students with disabilities during the pandemic. Data were collected through the synthesis of international and South African literature on the issue, as it specifically relates to students with disabilities during the pandemic. The key finding was that the pandemic exacerbated the pedagogic challenges already confronted by students with disabilities, thereby gravely affecting their access to learning. The objective of the article was to present the pedagogic challenges and how they have limited students with disabilities’ epistemic access, as exacerbated by the pandemic. This was so that interventions that could assist their learning in the “new normal”, could be thought about, in the South African context, in Africa and globally.
{"title":"The pedagogic domain and epistemic access in South African higher education: The challenges for students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"S. Ndlovu","doi":"10.20853/36-4-5194","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-4-5194","url":null,"abstract":"The unexpected emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse effects on diverse students’ epistemic access in the context of South African higher education. While this has seen an increasing urge for research to understand epistemic access and success of disadvantaged students, there has not been a specific focus on the issue as it specifically relates to students with disabilities, who are unique in their own way, thereby requiring an intervention that considers their differences. Using the decolonial analytical framework, the article explored the challenges in the pedagogic domain, and their implications for the epistemic access of students with disabilities during the pandemic. Data were collected through the synthesis of international and South African literature on the issue, as it specifically relates to students with disabilities during the pandemic. The key finding was that the pandemic exacerbated the pedagogic challenges already confronted by students with disabilities, thereby gravely affecting their access to learning. The objective of the article was to present the pedagogic challenges and how they have limited students with disabilities’ epistemic access, as exacerbated by the pandemic. This was so that interventions that could assist their learning in the “new normal”, could be thought about, in the South African context, in Africa and globally.","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67714490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Assessment in higher education remains one of the most reliable forms of assessing the effectiveness of the learning and teaching (L&T) process. Excellence in theory assessment design is, therefore, a pivotal element of the success of many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) around the world. This scoping review aimed to establish current assessment best practices in nursing at HEIs. The five steps of Arksey and O’Malley’s framework guided this scoping review. Following a systematic search of various databases, including Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PubMed, Sage Online Journals, SCOPUS, and Wiley Online Library for the period from 2010 to 2020, a rigorous screening process was undertaken by three independent reviewers. The search terms included assessment best practice and nursing education institution. Of the 652 articles screened, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. Four quantitative, four qualitative, one mixed-method, and three studies that did not specify their design were included. The findings revealed that various factors influence how educators design assessments. Theoretical assessment design is a vital activity and requires collaboration between policymakers and HEIs to enhance the quality designing of assessments by educators through professional development.
{"title":"Designing theoretical assessments at nursing higher education institutions: A scoping review","authors":"G. Donough","doi":"10.20853/36-2-4699","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-2-4699","url":null,"abstract":"Assessment in higher education remains one of the most reliable forms of assessing the effectiveness of the learning and teaching (L&T) process. Excellence in theory assessment design is, therefore, a pivotal element of the success of many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) around the world. This scoping review aimed to establish current assessment best practices in nursing at HEIs. The five steps of Arksey and O’Malley’s framework guided this scoping review. Following a systematic search of various databases, including Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PubMed, Sage Online Journals, SCOPUS, and Wiley Online Library for the period from 2010 to 2020, a rigorous screening process was undertaken by three independent reviewers. The search terms included assessment best practice and nursing education institution. Of the 652 articles screened, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. Four quantitative, four qualitative, one mixed-method, and three studies that did not specify their design were included. The findings revealed that various factors influence how educators design assessments. Theoretical assessment design is a vital activity and requires collaboration between policymakers and HEIs to enhance the quality designing of assessments by educators through professional development.","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67714692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Student leadership in South Africa is unsettled and characterised by unrest. The perturbing changes in the higher education system, including global shifts and crises, impact South African student leadership psychologically. Consequently, this article seeks to understand the system psychodynamics of South African student leadership. Data was collected during a social dream drawing (SDD) session with student leaders at a South African university before the onset of the Fees Must Fall movement. The SDD session aimed to understand the social construction of student leadership at a South African university and data was analysed through discourse analysis with a psychodynamic interpretation. For this article, a co-reflector was incorporated for secondary analysis after Fees Must Fall to reorganise, reinterpret the data and enhance the initial findings using a conflict, identity, boundaries, authority, role, task (CIBART) model. CIBART findings show that students have a need for a collective and shared vision, and find it unsettling when this need is not satisfied due to the complex environment. Thereby, their psychological safety is threatened, while anxiety is heightened in an environment characterised by transformation and decolonisation agendas. Substantial conflicts impact authority dynamics while, simultaneously, student leadership identity and boundaries are blurry and in crisis. Thus, the compromised clarity of student leadership elevates implications for the confidence that is required for the role and task of student leadership. Consequently, efforts to reduce the anxiety of student leadership ought to be a priority. Psychologists are indicated to play a crucial role in restoring the psychological safety and security of student leaders.
{"title":"South African Student Leadership Unrest and Unsettled Constructions: A CIBART Analysis","authors":"N. Pule","doi":"10.20853/36-2-4718","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.20853/36-2-4718","url":null,"abstract":"Student leadership in South Africa is unsettled and characterised by unrest. The perturbing changes in the higher education system, including global shifts and crises, impact South African student leadership psychologically. Consequently, this article seeks to understand the system psychodynamics of South African student leadership. Data was collected during a social dream drawing (SDD) session with student leaders at a South African university before the onset of the Fees Must Fall movement. The SDD session aimed to understand the social construction of student leadership at a South African university and data was analysed through discourse analysis with a psychodynamic interpretation. For this article, a co-reflector was incorporated for secondary analysis after Fees Must Fall to reorganise, reinterpret the data and enhance the initial findings using a conflict, identity, boundaries, authority, role, task (CIBART) model. CIBART findings show that students have a need for a collective and shared vision, and find it unsettling when this need is not satisfied due to the complex environment. Thereby, their psychological safety is threatened, while anxiety is heightened in an environment characterised by transformation and decolonisation agendas. Substantial conflicts impact authority dynamics while, simultaneously, student leadership identity and boundaries are blurry and in crisis. Thus, the compromised clarity of student leadership elevates implications for the confidence that is required for the role and task of student leadership. Consequently, efforts to reduce the anxiety of student leadership ought to be a priority. Psychologists are indicated to play a crucial role in restoring the psychological safety and security of student leaders.","PeriodicalId":44786,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Higher Education","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67714725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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