Proceedings of The Focus Conference (TFC 2022)

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19 articles
Proceedings Article

Peer-Review Statements

Manyane Makua, Mariam Akinlolu, Mashango Sithole, Phiwayinkosi Gumede, Cebo Nyondo
Proceedings Article

Quality of Graduates in the Post-covid Era as a Field of Convergence Between Southern Theory and the Idea of Social Justice Higher Education

A. Krishnannair, S. Krishnannair
The idea of ‘quality of graduates’ as understood in the Higher Education (HE) sector is central to this conceptual piece. HE systems across the world have seen unprecedented levels of transformation as part of their effort to adapt to the conditions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that most...
Proceedings Article

Detecting At-Risk Students in an Animal Science Module with Performance Data (Test 1 and 2) from Two Different Cohorts in a Rural-Based University

F. Nde Fon, M. Sibanda
Students’ dropout which is often reflected as at-risk students remains a major problem in Higher Education worldwide not excluding South Africa. Numerous factors have been associated with student’s dropout such as first-generation student pressure, choosing the wrong institution and course, social status...
Proceedings Article

Beyond Barriers and Resistance: Peer Tutor Reflections on Writing Centre Practice During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

N. P. Khumalo, S. P. C. Onwuegbuchulam
Writing is a core staple of academic and discipline-specific discourses. Students, therefore, having entered the university, are required to demonstrate a minimum proficiency in academic writing as well as the potential to build upon effective academic discourse. Academic writing is thus vital to students’...
Proceedings Article

Reimagining the Success Discourse in a Higher Education Institution in South Africa: Potential Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude Undergraduate Students’ Perspectives

S. D. Khumalo, V. Nnadozi, A. Mahadew, R. Rawatlal, P. Mazibuko, C. Mpungose
Universities in South Africa enhance undergraduate students’ success by largely focusing on the provision of remedial academic support. The target of the structured support is to assist those undergraduate students categorised as ‘at-risk’ of not progressing in their studies and or failing to stay on...
Proceedings Article

Factors Influencing Plagiarism Amongst Undergraduate Students at an Institution of Higher Learning: Kwazulu-Natal

A. L. Hillermann
Plagiarism is seen as a form of dishonesty, especially within an Institution of Higher Learning. It is a phenomenon that has been encountered more often inside the classroom over the past few years with easier access to technology. Plagiarism has therefore been classified as a multi-layer phenomenon...
Proceedings Article

Legitimation Code Theory as a Lens for Students’ Academic Support at Mangosuthu University of Technology

N. E. Madondo, L. Khumalo, Z. Mbili
This paper argues that there is likely confinement of most of us in academia in dominant understandings associated with teaching, learning and language to the extent that the practices, beliefs, and values that underpin those practices, privileged in these discourses become ‘normalised’ and ‘naturalised’....
Proceedings Article

Perception of Students Regarding the Support Received During Covid-19: A Case Study of One of the South African Rural Universities

M. Mbodila, T. Mfikoyi, O. A. Esan, M. Mbodila
The outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown of all activities forced the education systems across the world and particularly in South Africa to change the mode of teaching from face-to-face to online. This rapid shift has brought about many changes in all sectors, especially in the field of education....
Proceedings Article

Facing the Unknown: Managing Work Integrated Learning in the Midst of Covid-19

M. Ruthanam
This article provides a reflection into the experiences and challenges of a Work Integrated Learning coordinator regarding the management of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for Environmental Health during Covid-19. It aimed to establish a comparison between the change in processes regarding WIL at a South...
Proceedings Article

School Experience Students’ Perspective on the Benefit of Blackboard LMS for e-Portfolio Development

V. Nkonki, N. Tsipa-Booi, B. Mqukuse, N. Mvunge
Putting together a Portfolio of evidence is a difficult, time-consuming, and intimidating undertaking, especially when emergency remote online teaching and learning is required as compelled by COVID-19 restrictions. Under these conditions, student teachers were required to finish their school experience...
Proceedings Article

Student-Centred and Transformative Online Pedagogies Employed by Lecturers During the COVID-19 Pandemic at a South African Higher Education Institution

N. Mashiyi
During an unprecedented period of disruption unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic, lecturers were forced to embrace change and integrate digital tools into their teaching. When the pandemic broke out, some higher education institutions in South Africa were already facilitating most of their lectures online...
Proceedings Article

The Application of a Humanistic Pedagogy-Based Evaluation Tool to Capture Educators’ Perceptions of the Value of Digital Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

N. Vokwana, L. Baleni
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the prevalence of 21st-century digital learning technologies in numerous curriculum-related learning environments. Institutions of higher education progressively tuned to use learning technologies to resource and support teaching and learning environments in either...
Proceedings Article

Technological Disadvantaged Students’ Perception of Blending Learning in the COVID-19 Era – A Case of Cost Accounting 2 Students in South African University

O. Gqokonqana
The COVID-19 lockdown compelled higher education institutions to embrace the use of technology in the teaching and learning process more frequently than previously. The student cohorts enrolled in higher education institution under study in this paper, come from a technologically challenged background....
Proceedings Article

Peer Partnerships in a First Year Transition Programme During Covid-19: Unmasking Student Voices

S. Pather, C. Johannes, O. P. Abiodun, L. Bota, R. Chitongo, M. Davids, B. A. Goldberg, M. Jaftha, N. Manie
Student voices have the potential to increase student engagement; encourage collaboration and partnerships among students, academics and student support units. This paper focuses on students as mentors, mentees and transition officers who engage with each other as partners within an institution-wide...
Proceedings Article

The Impact of Covid 19 on Teaching and Learning Amongst First-Year Entry Learners at Institutions of Higher Education

M. M. Sikwela, V. Khumalo, B. Y. C. Mvuyana
The impact of coronavirus (Covid-19) in 2020 has had devastating effects on the higher education system in South Africa and beyond. More specifically to previously disadvantaged universities that had to change the mode of class delivery to first-year students. The study investigated the impact of Covid-19...
Proceedings Article

Lecturers’ Experiences with Digital Assessments

L. Smith, N. Cekiso
In preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), higher education institutions are concerned that new graduates are inadequately prepared for their place of work. The disparity can result in unemployment and a short supply of skilled labour. Higher education institutions, as the producers of...
Proceedings Article

Perceptions of Medical Laboratory Science Students on the Implementation of Information and Communications Technology in Medical Education

N. Thembane
Technological environments and demands of the new teaching and learning paradigms have paved the way for educational institutions to use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to enhance the quality of student learning. ICT has revolutionized medical education in the past two decades, as a result...
Proceedings Article

The Bad and the Ugly: Reflections on the Use of Invigilator App by First-Year Students in English Proficiency for University Studies at an Odel University in South Africa

T. Shange
This study explores the first-year students in English Proficiency for University Studies’ experiences of e-proctoring challenges when they used the Invigilator app during online exams at a mega open and distance e-learning (ODeL) university in South Africa. Current research indicates that the few proctoring...
Proceedings Article

Assessment of First-Year Students’ Prior Knowledge as a Pathway to Student Success: A Biology Based Case

G. Mokganya, I. Zitha
This study assesses students’ prior knowledge as a pathway to ensuring improvements in student academic success. It is noted that a widespread problem faced by lecturers in institutions of higher learning is that students lack significant prior knowledge and skills required to circumvent challenges they...