Using resource based learning to create sustainable learning ecologies in higher education

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Date
2016-12
Authors
Malebo, Motloi Andrew
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Higher education in South Africa and the world have gone through various and evolving changes, including the funding of student fees, pedagogy of teaching and learning, access and throughputs rates. The use of technological devices and resources to enhance teaching and learning constitutes what in my career seems to be the most striking. This study focuses on the use of Resource Based Learning (RBL) tools in creating sustainable learning ecologies in Higher Education (HE). The United Nations (UN) reiterated the importance of implementation of sustainable development and sustainable learning ecologies through its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This study’s aim was to look at the usage of RBL to create sustainable learning ecologies in HE. The methodology was qualitative research in which co-researchers were used to generate data. The data generated from this study was analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). However, the current pedagogical approach was dissected to achieve a deeper understanding of the democratic principles of teaching and learning. Education is supposed to be free for students, and allow them to be active participants collaborating in their curriculum. For understanding the democratic and emancipatory nature of student engagement through the usage of RBL tools, Critical Emancipatory Research (CER) was used as an approach. Research was used to clearly understand the relevancy of freedom, equality and the emancipatory nature of RBL in creating sustainable learning in HE. A similar approach of student-centred learning is supported by this study. The authoritative nature of learning in which the lecturers simply provides instruction to student is highlighted. Although the study was conducted in South Africa the results can be generalized to other countries and it replicated, both considered as strengths of this research. The findings indicated both positives and negatives regarding the use of the learning tools in higher education. There are also changes in the way learning is conducted as there is shift in the instructional or traditional way in which lecturers provide the learning material and offer the course. There is also an indication that through new learning methods, such as RBL, education can be made more easily accessible to the marginalized, with virtual education facilitating this. Some of the findings indicate that the traditional methods of teaching and learning disadvantage the freedom and emancipatory mechanisms of quality education. The study makes a strong contribution to knowledge, despite certain acknowledged limitations of this study.
Afrikaans: Hoër onderwys in Suid-Afrika en die wêreld het deur verskeie veranderinge. Die veranderinge sluit in die befondsing van studentegelde, pedagogie van onderrig en leer, toegang en deursette tariewe. Die revolusionêre veranderinge sluit in die gebruik van tegnologiese toestelle in onderrig en leer. Hierdie studie fokus op die gebruik van hulpbrongebaseerde leer gereedskap in die skep van volhoubare leer ekologieë in Hoër Onderwys (HO). Verenigde Nasies (VN) het weer ook die implementering van volhoubare ontwikkeling en volhoubare leer ekologieë deur sy Millennium Ontwikkelingsdoelwitte. Hierdie studie doel was om te kyk na die gebruik van hulpbrongebaseerde gereedskap in die hoër onderwys. Die tipe metodes wat in hierdie studie was kwalitatiewe navorsing waarin mede-navorsers, is gebruik om data te genereer. Die gegenereer uit hierdie studie data is ontleed met behulp van kritiese diskoersanalise. Maar die huidige pedagogiese benadering gedissekteer om 'n dieper begrip van die demokratiese beginsels van onderrig en leer te kry. Ons moet onthou dat onderwys is veronderstel om vry te wees vir die studente, ook aktief aan deelneem, en saam met hul kurrikulum. Om te kry in die greep of die grap van die begrip van die demokratiese en emansipatoriese aard van betrokkenheid van die student deur die gebruik van hulpbronebaseerde leer gereedskap, was krities emansiperende Navorsing gebruik as 'n benadering van verstand. Navorsing is gebruik om duidelik te verstaan die relevansie van vryheid, gelykheid en emansipatoriese aard van die gebruik van hulpbrongebaseerde leer in die skep van volhoubare leer in hoër onderwys. Die soortgelyke benadering van student-gesentreerde leer ondersteun van hierdie studie. Die gesaghebbende aard van leer waar die dosente verskaf net instruksies aan student word ook heighted. Selfs al is die studie is in Suid-Afrika die resultate van hierdie studie veralgemeen kan word kruis ander lande en dit herhaal kan word wat is die krag van hierdie navorsing. Die bevindinge van hierdie navorsingstudie het aangedui dat daar positiewe en negatiewe verband met die gebruik van die instrumente vir die leer in hoër onderwys. Daar is ook verander in die manier leer, wat as daar verskuiwing in die instruksionele manier of tradisionele wyse waarop dosente verskaf die leermateriaal en die aanbied van die kursus. Daar is ook 'n aanduiding dat ons deur die nuwe leer metodes soos die gebruik van hulpbronebaseerde onderwys maklik toeganklik vir die gemarginaliseerde en virtuele onderwys moontlik kan wees. Sommige van die bevindinge dui daarop dat die tradisionele metodes van onderrig en leer nadeel van die vryheid 'n bevrydende meganismes van gehalte-onderwys. Laastens hoofstuk ses van hierdie studie dui die sterk bydrae tot die kennis en die beperkings van hierdie studie.
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Keywords
Thesis (Ph.D. (Higher Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2016, Sustainability, Learning ecologies, Higher education -- South Africa, Resource-Based Learning
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