Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2017
This study investigated and identified the organizational factors that contribute to the poor ado... more This study investigated and identified the organizational factors that contribute to the poor adoption of technology such as the Sakai Learning Management System in education. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interview questions guided by Giddens’ structuration model. The participant lecturers were from one of the nineteen universities in Zimbabwe, a developing country where a sluggard uptake of Information and Communication Technologies is currently experienced. The situation not only prejudices the students from enjoying the affordances their counterparts in developed nations enjoy. It has also led to the emergence of the second order digital divide, a problem of concern to the researchers, ICT policy makers and the learning institution management, robbed of the anticipated returns on the costly technological investment. The paper contributes to the limited literature relating to the developing country lecturers’ perceptions of e-learning tools in teaching. The findings show that organizational factors play a major role in influencing either the lecturers’ positive or negative perceptions of e-learning system tools in education. In addition to the documented individual and technological factors, policy, budget, training, decision making, implementation and consultation techniques have been found to inhibit the successful integration of e-learning tools in the traditional teaching methods.
Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 2015
This paper describes the flipped classroom approach followed in two second year Information Syste... more This paper describes the flipped classroom approach followed in two second year Information Systems courses. The various techniques employed through this approach are described. These techniques were underpinned by a theory of coherent practice, which is a pedagogy that provides a framework for the design of highly structured interventions to guide students in their learning experiences. The paper also describes the students’ perceived benefits and limitations of the approach. The students’ performance was compared with that of the previous year where a traditional teaching method was followed. Overall, the flipped classroom approach had a positive impact on students’ attitude to learning, level of understanding, ability to apply concepts, engagement and performance. Limitations were mostly in line with a reluctance to take charge of their own learning (for some of them) and inability to engage in group discussions. A set of recommendations are proposed to address these gaps in line...
Abstract: Distributed teams have been set up to work together across space, time and even organis... more Abstract: Distributed teams have been set up to work together across space, time and even organisational boundaries over the last few years, to increase the availability of scarce skills, reduce travel costs, and increase worker job satisfaction through fewer relocations. This ...
The Information Systems (IS) profession is known as one of the most dynamic fields in our current... more The Information Systems (IS) profession is known as one of the most dynamic fields in our current day and age. Rapid advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) increase the dependence of organizations on these ICTs and create a greater need for IS competence. This demand constitutes serious challenges to academia to provide graduates with the necessary skill set to fulfil their roles in industry and to cope more effectively with real life problems. In an attempt to address this skills gap, a theory of coherent practice was developed to act as a framework for creating a synthesis of theory and practice when designing curricula for undergraduate courses. This paper reports on a specific implementation that led to an industry partnership, and the construction of a Case study to support a flipped classroom approach and provide context for a real life problem. In addition, it guided the design of a set of carefully structured interventions directing student evolution t...
This paper examines how students ’ experiences of learning to program are affected by feelings of... more This paper examines how students ’ experiences of learning to program are affected by feelings of fear, using a phenomenological approach to elicit rich descriptions of personal experiences from the narratives of final year undergraduate students. In the course of reviewing current work concerning learning or teaching programming, certain focal areas of research emerged. This paper attempted to group these into three main topics. These are the predictors of student success in learning programming, the barriers to learning pro-gramming. and the teaching tools or learning methodologies which could assist with learning programming. The review was conducted with particular emphasis on phenomenological research in this field. Cockburn’s concepts of skills acquisition and Dreyfus ’ levels of adult learning are discussed and are used as a theoretical lens to examine the growth of the students. Learning to program or code forms part of the core courses taught by the Information Systems (IS)...
This paper discusses peer assessment as a component of the assessment strategy used for Informati... more This paper discusses peer assessment as a component of the assessment strategy used for Information Systems student group projects at a South African university. The value of peer assessment and the contribution to the real-life experience offered by group projects, will be discussed. It will also illustrate how this process adds value by enhancing deep learning. Its value as a complementary assessment instrument in a multiple assessment strategy and how the results of peer assessment are used to recognise individual contributions to group performance will be illustrated. The use of peer assessment as an instrument for both informal formative assessment and formal summative assessment will be described. To perform the peer assessment specific instruments were designed and used throughout the lifecycle of the course. Keywords: Peer assessment, group work, assessment, self-assessment, IS Project. 1.
It is common to find final or near final year undergraduate Information Technology students under... more It is common to find final or near final year undergraduate Information Technology students undertaking a substantial development project; a project where the students have the opportunity to be fully involved in the analysis, design, and development of an information technology service or product. This involvement has been catalyzed and prepared for during their previous studies where the students have been told and shown how to develop similar systems. It is the belief that only through this ‘real ’ project do they get the chance to experience something similar to what is expected of them when they embark on their chosen profession; that is, as an information technology professional. The high value of ‘near real life ’ educational experience is recognized by many universities across the globe. The aim of this paper is to present examples from three countries- Australia, United Kingdom and South Africa, of the delivery of these team, capstone or industrial experience projects; thei...
There is currently much debate on the adequacy of Information Systems courses in preparing studen... more There is currently much debate on the adequacy of Information Systems courses in preparing students for systems development work. To address this need, this paper’s purpose was to determine whether the skills that students learnt during a systems development course were applied in the workplace. The investigation was performed during 2004 from students who had attended the third year systems development course at the University of Cape Town during 2000 to 2003. This course has as its outcomes various technical, interpersonal and business skills. The research approach adopted was to determine graduate’s usage and importance rating of these skills in the workplace, satisfaction of industry representatives with student skills as well as the extent to which graduates felt these skills had been learnt during the systems development course. Quantitative analysis of questionnaires completed by graduates and evaluation forms completed by industry representatives was performed. The results c...
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used to support almost all areas of human a... more Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used to support almost all areas of human activity, and information systems play an increasingly important role in organisations and in society as a whole. At the same time, continuous and dramatic changes in the field of Information Systems (IS) and its context pose serious challenges to educators preparing students for professional practice. This study is therefore about the search to design, develop and implement a framework for constructing a capstone course that will be both flexible and efficient, while simultaneously embracing the interdisciplinary character of the IS field. A capstone course can be viewed as a man-made artefact intended to meet the needs of the world we live in and the activity of building theory in such a world is embedded in the sciences of the artificial. The research paradigm for this environment thus comprised a combination of the behavioural science and design science paradigms. The evolution of a capstone course at the University of Cape Town commenced in 2001 and led to the development of a conceptual framework for a coherent practice. During 2010 and 2011 the conceptual framework acted as a bridge enabling the researcher to develop, refine and evaluate a design science theory. This was done through a series of themed action experiments each consisting of several interventions, to create a synthesis of theory and practice for preparing thoughtful practitioners. The theory includes prescriptive statements of actions leading to specific outcomes that provided evidence of how a reflective practice nurtures deep involvement of students in their learning experience. It further demonstrated how accompanying theories within this framework can be utilised either to underpin or to make sense of the different activities within this practice. These meaning-making activities initiated the reconstruction of interventions and actions to promote transcendence and embodied cognition, nurturing competence and lifelong learning. Ultimately, the intention of the theory is to extend the boundaries of the capabilities of IS majors (or students of other exit level courses) to such an extent that they become empowered to cope with the complex and changing demands of the real world.
There has been a major increase in the use of information Communication Technology (ICT), particu... more There has been a major increase in the use of information Communication Technology (ICT), particularly Electronic Learning (e-learning) blended with face-to-face (f2f) in teaching to cater for increased student enrolments. E-learning is a technology based method with time and space independence and facilitated by Learning Management Systems (LMSs), computer programs used to create, manage, deliver and retrieve learning content such as Sakai. Much prior studies on LMSs have focused on their adoption and acceptance. This research thus sought to understand the reasons for some lecturers to be dissatisfied with the e-learning platform experience despite their benefits. A questionnaire based survey of 70 lecturers was conducted. The results showed that lack of awareness and the technical knowhow were among the critical factors that influenced the utilization of the Sakai LMS at NUST. This provides useful information to the university management on the need and importance of the LMS users...
The Group Systems Development Project course of the Information Systems major at the University o... more The Group Systems Development Project course of the Information Systems major at the University of Cape Town is a practical course designed to integrate the body of knowledge obtained in other undergraduate theoretical courses. The main objective of the course is to give students a real world experience of the diverse and complex nature of the Information Systems profession and provide them with adequate skills for the global marketplace. This paper describes the objectives as well as the deliverables and the administration of the course. The basic course content is outlined, and the various stakeholders and their roles are identified. Some discussion is provided regarding the comprehensive set of assessment strategies that has been implemented as well as a number of critical issues that have emerged. Finally, the need for ongoing research in this area is addressed.
This paper discusses peer assessment as a component of the assessment strategy used for Informati... more This paper discusses peer assessment as a component of the assessment strategy used for Information Systems student group projects at a South African university. The value of peer assessment and the contribution to the real-life experience offered by group projects, will be discussed. It will also illustrate how this process adds value by enhancing deep learning. Its value as a complementary assessment instrument in a multiple assessment strategy and how the results of peer assessment are used to recognise individual contributions to group performance will be illustrated. The use of peer assessment as an instrument for both informal formative assessment and formal summative assessment will be described. To perform the peer assessment specific instruments were designed and used throughout the lifecycle of the course.
Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline
In the fast changing global economic landscape, the cultivation of sustainable entrepreneurial ve... more In the fast changing global economic landscape, the cultivation of sustainable entrepreneurial ventures is seen as a vital mechanism that will enable businesses to introduce new innovative products to the market faster and more effectively than their competitors. This research paper investigated phenomena that may play a significant role when entrepreneurs implement creative ideas resulting in successful technology enabled start-ups within the South African market place. Constant and significant changes in technology provide several challenges for entrepreneurship. Various themes such as innovation, work experience, idea generation, education and partnership formation have been explored to assess their impact on entrepreneurship. Reflection and a design thinking approach underpinned a rigorous analysis process to distill themes from the data gathered through semi structured interviews. From the findings it was evident that the primary success influencers include the formation of par...
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2017
This study investigated and identified the organizational factors that contribute to the poor ado... more This study investigated and identified the organizational factors that contribute to the poor adoption of technology such as the Sakai Learning Management System in education. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interview questions guided by Giddens’ structuration model. The participant lecturers were from one of the nineteen universities in Zimbabwe, a developing country where a sluggard uptake of Information and Communication Technologies is currently experienced. The situation not only prejudices the students from enjoying the affordances their counterparts in developed nations enjoy. It has also led to the emergence of the second order digital divide, a problem of concern to the researchers, ICT policy makers and the learning institution management, robbed of the anticipated returns on the costly technological investment. The paper contributes to the limited literature relating to the developing country lecturers’ perceptions of e-learning tools in teaching. The findings show that organizational factors play a major role in influencing either the lecturers’ positive or negative perceptions of e-learning system tools in education. In addition to the documented individual and technological factors, policy, budget, training, decision making, implementation and consultation techniques have been found to inhibit the successful integration of e-learning tools in the traditional teaching methods.
Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 2015
This paper describes the flipped classroom approach followed in two second year Information Syste... more This paper describes the flipped classroom approach followed in two second year Information Systems courses. The various techniques employed through this approach are described. These techniques were underpinned by a theory of coherent practice, which is a pedagogy that provides a framework for the design of highly structured interventions to guide students in their learning experiences. The paper also describes the students’ perceived benefits and limitations of the approach. The students’ performance was compared with that of the previous year where a traditional teaching method was followed. Overall, the flipped classroom approach had a positive impact on students’ attitude to learning, level of understanding, ability to apply concepts, engagement and performance. Limitations were mostly in line with a reluctance to take charge of their own learning (for some of them) and inability to engage in group discussions. A set of recommendations are proposed to address these gaps in line...
Abstract: Distributed teams have been set up to work together across space, time and even organis... more Abstract: Distributed teams have been set up to work together across space, time and even organisational boundaries over the last few years, to increase the availability of scarce skills, reduce travel costs, and increase worker job satisfaction through fewer relocations. This ...
The Information Systems (IS) profession is known as one of the most dynamic fields in our current... more The Information Systems (IS) profession is known as one of the most dynamic fields in our current day and age. Rapid advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) increase the dependence of organizations on these ICTs and create a greater need for IS competence. This demand constitutes serious challenges to academia to provide graduates with the necessary skill set to fulfil their roles in industry and to cope more effectively with real life problems. In an attempt to address this skills gap, a theory of coherent practice was developed to act as a framework for creating a synthesis of theory and practice when designing curricula for undergraduate courses. This paper reports on a specific implementation that led to an industry partnership, and the construction of a Case study to support a flipped classroom approach and provide context for a real life problem. In addition, it guided the design of a set of carefully structured interventions directing student evolution t...
This paper examines how students ’ experiences of learning to program are affected by feelings of... more This paper examines how students ’ experiences of learning to program are affected by feelings of fear, using a phenomenological approach to elicit rich descriptions of personal experiences from the narratives of final year undergraduate students. In the course of reviewing current work concerning learning or teaching programming, certain focal areas of research emerged. This paper attempted to group these into three main topics. These are the predictors of student success in learning programming, the barriers to learning pro-gramming. and the teaching tools or learning methodologies which could assist with learning programming. The review was conducted with particular emphasis on phenomenological research in this field. Cockburn’s concepts of skills acquisition and Dreyfus ’ levels of adult learning are discussed and are used as a theoretical lens to examine the growth of the students. Learning to program or code forms part of the core courses taught by the Information Systems (IS)...
This paper discusses peer assessment as a component of the assessment strategy used for Informati... more This paper discusses peer assessment as a component of the assessment strategy used for Information Systems student group projects at a South African university. The value of peer assessment and the contribution to the real-life experience offered by group projects, will be discussed. It will also illustrate how this process adds value by enhancing deep learning. Its value as a complementary assessment instrument in a multiple assessment strategy and how the results of peer assessment are used to recognise individual contributions to group performance will be illustrated. The use of peer assessment as an instrument for both informal formative assessment and formal summative assessment will be described. To perform the peer assessment specific instruments were designed and used throughout the lifecycle of the course. Keywords: Peer assessment, group work, assessment, self-assessment, IS Project. 1.
It is common to find final or near final year undergraduate Information Technology students under... more It is common to find final or near final year undergraduate Information Technology students undertaking a substantial development project; a project where the students have the opportunity to be fully involved in the analysis, design, and development of an information technology service or product. This involvement has been catalyzed and prepared for during their previous studies where the students have been told and shown how to develop similar systems. It is the belief that only through this ‘real ’ project do they get the chance to experience something similar to what is expected of them when they embark on their chosen profession; that is, as an information technology professional. The high value of ‘near real life ’ educational experience is recognized by many universities across the globe. The aim of this paper is to present examples from three countries- Australia, United Kingdom and South Africa, of the delivery of these team, capstone or industrial experience projects; thei...
There is currently much debate on the adequacy of Information Systems courses in preparing studen... more There is currently much debate on the adequacy of Information Systems courses in preparing students for systems development work. To address this need, this paper’s purpose was to determine whether the skills that students learnt during a systems development course were applied in the workplace. The investigation was performed during 2004 from students who had attended the third year systems development course at the University of Cape Town during 2000 to 2003. This course has as its outcomes various technical, interpersonal and business skills. The research approach adopted was to determine graduate’s usage and importance rating of these skills in the workplace, satisfaction of industry representatives with student skills as well as the extent to which graduates felt these skills had been learnt during the systems development course. Quantitative analysis of questionnaires completed by graduates and evaluation forms completed by industry representatives was performed. The results c...
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used to support almost all areas of human a... more Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used to support almost all areas of human activity, and information systems play an increasingly important role in organisations and in society as a whole. At the same time, continuous and dramatic changes in the field of Information Systems (IS) and its context pose serious challenges to educators preparing students for professional practice. This study is therefore about the search to design, develop and implement a framework for constructing a capstone course that will be both flexible and efficient, while simultaneously embracing the interdisciplinary character of the IS field. A capstone course can be viewed as a man-made artefact intended to meet the needs of the world we live in and the activity of building theory in such a world is embedded in the sciences of the artificial. The research paradigm for this environment thus comprised a combination of the behavioural science and design science paradigms. The evolution of a capstone course at the University of Cape Town commenced in 2001 and led to the development of a conceptual framework for a coherent practice. During 2010 and 2011 the conceptual framework acted as a bridge enabling the researcher to develop, refine and evaluate a design science theory. This was done through a series of themed action experiments each consisting of several interventions, to create a synthesis of theory and practice for preparing thoughtful practitioners. The theory includes prescriptive statements of actions leading to specific outcomes that provided evidence of how a reflective practice nurtures deep involvement of students in their learning experience. It further demonstrated how accompanying theories within this framework can be utilised either to underpin or to make sense of the different activities within this practice. These meaning-making activities initiated the reconstruction of interventions and actions to promote transcendence and embodied cognition, nurturing competence and lifelong learning. Ultimately, the intention of the theory is to extend the boundaries of the capabilities of IS majors (or students of other exit level courses) to such an extent that they become empowered to cope with the complex and changing demands of the real world.
There has been a major increase in the use of information Communication Technology (ICT), particu... more There has been a major increase in the use of information Communication Technology (ICT), particularly Electronic Learning (e-learning) blended with face-to-face (f2f) in teaching to cater for increased student enrolments. E-learning is a technology based method with time and space independence and facilitated by Learning Management Systems (LMSs), computer programs used to create, manage, deliver and retrieve learning content such as Sakai. Much prior studies on LMSs have focused on their adoption and acceptance. This research thus sought to understand the reasons for some lecturers to be dissatisfied with the e-learning platform experience despite their benefits. A questionnaire based survey of 70 lecturers was conducted. The results showed that lack of awareness and the technical knowhow were among the critical factors that influenced the utilization of the Sakai LMS at NUST. This provides useful information to the university management on the need and importance of the LMS users...
The Group Systems Development Project course of the Information Systems major at the University o... more The Group Systems Development Project course of the Information Systems major at the University of Cape Town is a practical course designed to integrate the body of knowledge obtained in other undergraduate theoretical courses. The main objective of the course is to give students a real world experience of the diverse and complex nature of the Information Systems profession and provide them with adequate skills for the global marketplace. This paper describes the objectives as well as the deliverables and the administration of the course. The basic course content is outlined, and the various stakeholders and their roles are identified. Some discussion is provided regarding the comprehensive set of assessment strategies that has been implemented as well as a number of critical issues that have emerged. Finally, the need for ongoing research in this area is addressed.
This paper discusses peer assessment as a component of the assessment strategy used for Informati... more This paper discusses peer assessment as a component of the assessment strategy used for Information Systems student group projects at a South African university. The value of peer assessment and the contribution to the real-life experience offered by group projects, will be discussed. It will also illustrate how this process adds value by enhancing deep learning. Its value as a complementary assessment instrument in a multiple assessment strategy and how the results of peer assessment are used to recognise individual contributions to group performance will be illustrated. The use of peer assessment as an instrument for both informal formative assessment and formal summative assessment will be described. To perform the peer assessment specific instruments were designed and used throughout the lifecycle of the course.
Informing Science: The International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline
In the fast changing global economic landscape, the cultivation of sustainable entrepreneurial ve... more In the fast changing global economic landscape, the cultivation of sustainable entrepreneurial ventures is seen as a vital mechanism that will enable businesses to introduce new innovative products to the market faster and more effectively than their competitors. This research paper investigated phenomena that may play a significant role when entrepreneurs implement creative ideas resulting in successful technology enabled start-ups within the South African market place. Constant and significant changes in technology provide several challenges for entrepreneurship. Various themes such as innovation, work experience, idea generation, education and partnership formation have been explored to assess their impact on entrepreneurship. Reflection and a design thinking approach underpinned a rigorous analysis process to distill themes from the data gathered through semi structured interviews. From the findings it was evident that the primary success influencers include the formation of par...
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used to support almost all areas of human a... more Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used to support almost all areas of human activity, and information systems play an increasingly important role in organisations and in society as a whole. At the same time, continuous and dramatic changes in the field of Information Systems (IS) and its context pose serious challenges to educators preparing students for professional practice. This study is therefore about the search to design, develop and implement a framework for constructing a capstone course that will be both flexible and efficient, while simultaneously embracing the interdisciplinary character of the IS field. A capstone course can be viewed as a man-made artefact intended to meet the needs of the world we live in and the activity of building theory in such a world is embedded in the sciences of the artificial. The research paradigm for this environment thus comprised a combination of the behavioural science and design science paradigms. The evolution of a capstone course at the University of Cape Town commenced in 2001 and led to the development of a conceptual framework for a coherent practice. During 2010 and 2011 the conceptual framework acted as a bridge enabling the researcher to develop, refine and evaluate a design science theory. This was done through a series of themed action experiments each consisting of several interventions, to create a synthesis of theory and practice for preparing thoughtful practitioners. The theory includes prescriptive statements of actions leading to specific outcomes that provided evidence of how a reflective practice nurtures deep involvement of students in their learning experience. It further demonstrated how accompanying theories within this framework can be utilised either to underpin or to make sense of the different activities within this practice. These meaning-making activities initiated the reconstruction of interventions and actions to promote transcendence and embodied cognition, nurturing competence and lifelong learning. Ultimately, the intention of the theory is to extend the boundaries of the capabilities of IS majors (or students of other exit level courses) to such an extent that they become empowered to cope with the complex and changing demands of the real world.
Uploads
Papers by Elsje Scott
The evolution of a capstone course at the University of Cape Town commenced in 2001 and led to the development of a conceptual framework for a coherent practice. During 2010 and 2011 the conceptual framework acted as a bridge enabling the researcher to develop, refine and evaluate a design science theory. This was done through a series of themed action experiments each consisting of several interventions, to create a synthesis of theory and practice for preparing thoughtful practitioners. The theory includes prescriptive statements of actions leading to specific outcomes that provided evidence of how a reflective practice nurtures deep involvement of students in their learning experience. It further demonstrated how accompanying theories within this framework can be utilised either to underpin or to make sense of the different activities within this practice. These meaning-making activities initiated the reconstruction of interventions and actions to promote transcendence and embodied cognition, nurturing competence and lifelong learning. Ultimately, the intention of the theory is to extend the boundaries of the capabilities of IS majors (or students of other exit level courses) to such an extent that they become empowered to cope with the complex and changing demands of the real world.