Browsing by Author "Kies, Carolynne"

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    Community digital story project: George community needs
    (Science Domain, 2015) Stoltenkamp, Juliet; Siebrits, André; Braaf, Norina; Kies, Carolynne
    This study details a Digital Story Community Project undertaken by the Centre for Innovative Education and Communication Technologies of the University of the Western Cape, which took place in George (South Africa) in November 2014. The aim was to explore, via digital stories, the authentic needs of vulnerable community sectors by engaging with representatives, leaders and activists from those sectors, while equipping them in turn with transferable skills in the production of digital stories. Digital stories proved to be an excellent tool for community need identification, while simultaneously building digital skills among community members in a range of areas such as storyboarding, script writing, image preparation, and voice recording. A Sociocultural Constructionist and Asset-Based Community Development theoretical approach underpinned this research and proved an excellent fit for the creation of community narratives. A mixed methodology was adopted in this empirical study, relying primarily on qualitative data with quantitative support. Qualitative measures include pre- and post-survey questionnaires, facilitators’ observations during the workshop, participant feedback within an online discussion forum, as well as the perceived impact and application of digital stories. The skills attained, community needs and solutions produced, and the potential contribution of ICTs in these are also discussed. Supporting quantitative measures are drawn from an analysis of responses to the pre-and post-survey questionnaires and attendance numbers during the workshop. Identified needs clustered around four interrelated themes: youth, economic challenges, substance abuse, and healthcare. The use of digital stories in identifying community needs, in a theoretically sound manner, is recommended in future research focusing on community development. It is no longer possible or desirable to speak on behalf of communities in relation to their development needs, and the digital story eTool is appropriate for obtaining authentic community data, while building skills.
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    eLearning Colloquia enhance a Community of Practice : Reflections
    (2018) Liesl, Leonard; Kies, Carolynne; Braaf, Norina
    In this context specific reflection on an annual eLearning Colloquia hosted by the Centre for Innovative Education and Communication Technologies (CIECT) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), in Cape Town, South Africa; the researchers explore how the colloquia contributed to the institutional Community of Practice (CoP). Furthermore, it highlights the shifts in the institutional discourse on blended teaching and learning practices over an eight year period. The paper showcases CIECT’s efforts in driving the effective use of eTools to increase awareness and understanding of concepts such as agency, culture and structure. This awareness is critical in a post-modern Higher Education (HE) setting where the need to create a knowledge-intensive institutional culture exists. The human agents are central to the formation of a sustainable CoP which contributes to effective teaching and learning practices. Secondary data was used for the study and non-probability, purposive sampling resulted in a sample group of 78 individuals comprising of the Instructional Design team as well as the academic staff members at UWC who utilize the institutional Learning Management System or a range of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) in their teaching and learning practices.
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    Introducing e-learning in a South African Higher Education institution: challenges arising from an intervention and possible responses
    (Blackwell, 2013) Bharuthram, Sharita; Kies, Carolynne
    This article draws on research conducted at a tertiary institution in South Africa as part of the redesigning of an English for Educational Development (EED) course to include an e-learning online discussion component. The subject material used was based on HIV/ AIDS topics that students had to debate within an online discussion forum. Framed by the concept of Multiliteracies and the Social Constructivist view of teaching and learning, this study problematizes students� experiences of the online component in an attempt to explore the potential benefits of and challenges in using e-learning in teaching and learning and the extent to which e-learning should be adopted into the EED curriculum. The benefits derived and challenges faced by the students and the writers during the implementation of the intervention are presented with the aim of generating further discussions from researchers on national and international levels. This article briefly contextualizes the study by providing some background information, theory and the research process. It then draws on a number of evaluation tools ranging from course evaluations; classroom discussions and observations; reflective notes; as well as minutes of meetings to evaluate both students and writers participation and experiences