De Wet, LizetteSchall, RobertMabanza, Ntima2017-01-242017-01-242016http://hdl.handle.net/11660/5398Thesis (Ph.D.(Computer Science and Informatics))--University of the Free State, 2016𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 The problem of high computer illiteracy amongst adults in 3rd world countries, such as South Africa (SA), is preventing these individuals from becoming part of workforce as computer skills have become one of the major requirements to enter the job market. The other challenge for this group is that most of the current adult computer literacy training is conducted using approaches such as conventional training and e-learning. Often these approaches pose intellectual challenges to people who have never been exposed to a computer. In line with this, this research study was conducted in an effort to find new approaches to assist adult computer illiterate people, specifically in SA, to acquire the skills necessary (i.e. basic computer literacy) to promote employability and the improvement of their lives. The use of Pedagogical Interface Agents (PIAs) is one example of such a new approach. Over the years, many research studies on the potential of PIAs in promoting learning have been carried out. The results obtained from these studies showed that PIAs can improve student learning, engagement and motivation. However, most of these studies have focused on age groups ranging from childhood to undergraduate college students. Little attention has been paid to the use of PIAs in adult learning, and in computer literacy training, specifically in the word processing environment. The aim of this research study was to establish, through user testing, whether the incorporation of a variety of PIAs could improve and facilitate the computer literacy training (specifically in a word processing environment) for adult computer illiterates in SA. To achieve this aim, Simulated Microsoft Office Word System (SMOS), a simulated word processor system incorporating 10 PIAs (varying in terms of appearance, gender, voice and reality) was used in conjunction with MS Word to collect data needed for this research. A summative usability evaluation was performed in this study. The pragmatist paradigm was selected as a suitable paradigm for the current study. This research study employed the convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Study participants consisted of a group of adults from Mangaung-University of the Free State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP) who could understand and speak English, had little or no formal education and had never been exposed to a computer before. In order to better assess the usability of the 10 PIAs incorporated in SMOS, participants were divided into two groups, namely the test group (trained with SMOS, which incorporated PIAs) and the control group (trained with MS Word, without PIAs). Afterwards, participants from both groups were given 11 basic word processing tasks to complete using their respective systems (i.e. SMOS or MS Word) as part of the user assessment. In this study, reliability and validity were established through the use of multiple sources of data, which were directly linked to the study aims and objectives. A pilot study was conducted to check the appropriateness of data collection techniques used in this study. The user test performed in this study sought to measure three usability attributes, namely efficiency (measured by means of task efforts), effectiveness (measured by means of both individual and total number of errors) and satisfaction (measured by means of the user experience questionnaire related to the amount learnt from the study overall, enjoyment in being part of the study, and willingness to participate in a similar study in future). Observations and interviews were used to complement and better understand the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction data. All collected user test data were analysed using comparative statistical test techniques. The comparative analyses‟ results showed that test group participants (trained with SMOS, which incorporated PIAs) outperformed the control group participants (trained with MS Word, without PIAs) in both efficiency and effectiveness. With regard to the satisfaction, no difference was noted between participants from the two groups. Based on the findings of this study, it can be inferred that the use of PIAs could assist in overcoming many problems faced by adult computer illiterate users during computer literacy training in a 3rd world environment like in SA. However, it is suggested that key aspects, such as characteristics of adult learners, PIAs‟ external observable characteristics, and adult learners‟ satisfaction/ability to use the system, need to be systematically explored. ___________________________________________________________________𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒂𝒏𝒔 Die kwessie van hoë vlakke van rekenaarongeletterdheid onder volwassenes in 3de wêreldlande, soos Suid Afrika (SA), verhinder hierdie individue om deel te word van die werkerskorps aangesien rekenaarvaardighede een van die hoofvereistes geword het t.o.v. toetrede tot die beroepswêreld. Die ander uitdaging vir hierdie groep is dat die meeste volwasse rekenaargeletterdheid-opleidingsprogramme tans van konvensionele opleidingsbenaderinge gebruik maak. Hierdie konvensionele benaderinge hou dikwels intellektuele uitdagings in vir persone wie nog nie vantevore aan ʼn rekenaar blootgestel is nie. In lyn hiermee, is hierdie navorsingstudie gedoen in ʼn poging om nuwe benaderinge te kry om volwasse rekenaarongeletterde persone, spesifiek in SA, te help om die nodige vaardighede (bv. basiese rekenaargeletterdheid) aan te leer ten einde indiensneming te bevorder en hul lewens te verbeter. Die gebruik van Pedagogical Interface Agents (PIAs) is een voorbeeld van so ʼn nuwe benadering. Oor die afgelope paar jaar is verskeie navorsingstudies gedoen oor die potensiaal van PIAs om leer te bevorder. Die resultate verkry uit hierdie studies wys dat PIAs wel studente-leer, betrokkenheid en motivering kan bevorder. Die meeste van hierdie studies het egter gefokus op ouderdomsgroepe tussen kindertyd tot voorgraadse kollege-studente. Baie min aandag is gegee aan die gebruik van PIAs in volwasse leer, en in rekenaargeletterdheid-opleiding, spesifiek in die woordverwerker-omgewing. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om, deur gebruikertoetsing, vas te stel of die inkorporering van ʼn verskeidenheid PIAs rekenaargeletterdheidsopleiding (spesifiek in ʼn woordverwerker-omgewing) vir volwasse rekenaarongeletterdes in SA kan verbeter en fasiliteer. Om hierdie doel te bereik is Simulated Microsoft Office Word System (SMOS), ʼn gesimuleerde woordverwerkingstelsel wat 10 PIAs (verskillend t.o.v. voorkoms, geslag, stem en werklikheid) gebruik, tesame met MS Word gebruik om data te vang vir hierdie navorsing. ʼn Summatiewe bruikbaarheidsevaluering is in hierdie studie gedoen. Die pragmatiese paradigma is beskou as die mees geskikte paradigma vir die huidige studie. Die navorsingstudie het ook gebruik gemaak van konvergente parallel gemengde-metodes navorsing. Deelnemers aan die studie het bestaan uit ʼn groep volwassenes van Mangaung-University of the Free State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP) wie Engels kan praat en verstaan, baie min of selfs geen formele onderrig gehad het nie, en nog nooit tevore aan ʼn rekenaar blootgestel is nie. Ten einde die bruikbaarheid van PIAs geinkorporeer in SMOS beter te assesseer is deelnemers in twee groepe verdeel, naamlik die toetsgroep (opleiding met SMOS, wat PIAs insluit) en die kontrolegroep (opleiding met MS Word, sonder PIAs). Deelnemers van beide groepe het 11 basiese woordverwerkertake gekry om te doen deur gebruik te maak van hul onderskeie stelsels (SMOS of MS Word) as deel van die gebruikerassessering. In hierdie studie is betroubaarheid en geldigheid bevestig deur gebruik te maak van verskeie databronne, wat direk verwant is aan die studie se doelstellings en doelwitte. ʼn Loodsstudie is gedoen om die gepastheid van die datavangmetodes in hierdie studie te meet. Die gebruikertoets wat in hierdie studie gedoen is moes drie bruikbaarheidskenmerke meet, naamlik bekwaamheid (gemeet d.m.v. taak pogings), effektiwiteit (gemeet deur beide individuele en totale getal foute) en bevrediging (gemeet d.m.v. ʼn gebruiker-ervarings vraelys wat verband hou met die totale leer uit die studie, genot om deel te neem en bereidwilligheid om in die toekoms weer aan so ʼn studie deel te neem). Waarnemings en onderhoude is gebruik om die bekwaamheids-, effektiwiteits- en bevredigingsdata te komplimenteer en beter te verstaan. Alle gebruikertoetsdata wat vasgelê is is ontleed deur vergelykende statiestiese toetstegnieke. Die resultate van die vergelykende analise dui aan dat die toetsgroep-deelnemers (opleiding met SMOS, insluitend PIAs) baie beter gevaar het as die kontrolegroep-deelnemers (opleiding met MS Word, sonder PIAs) in beide bekwaamheid en effektiwiteit. Met betrekking tot bevrediging is geen onderskeid opgemerk tussen deelnemers van die twee groepe nie. Gebaseer op die bevindinge van die studie kan dit afgelei word dat die gebuik van PIAs wel kan bydra om baie van die probleme wat volwasse rekenaar-ongeletterde gebruikers tydens rekenaargeletterdheidsopleiding in ʼn 3de wêreld omgewing soos SA ondervind, te oorkom. Daar word egter voorgestel dat hoofaspekte, soos die eienskappe van volwasse leerders, PIAs se eksterne waarneembare eienskappe en volwasse leerders se bevrediging/vermoë om die stelsel te gebruik, stelselmatig ondersoek moet word. ___________________________________________________________________𝑺𝒆𝑺𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒐 Bothata ba batho ba baholo ba ho hloka tsebo ya ho sebedisa khomphutha dinaheng tsa boemo ba boraro ba lefatshe, jwaloka Afrika Borwa, bo thiba le ho sitisa batho bana ho ba karolo ya basebetsi ka lebaka la hobane ho tseba ho sebedisa khomphutha e se e le e nngwe ya ditshwanelo tse kgolo tsa ho kena mmarakeng kapa lefatsheng la mosebetsi. Phephetso e nngwe e kgolo ya sehlopha sena ke hore kwetliso ya jwale bakeng sa ho tseba khomphutha e se e etswa ka ho sebedisa mekgwa ya sejwalejwale ya kwetliso esita thuto e tsejwang ka hore ke ya elektroniki. Hangata mekgwa ena e ba le mathata a mangata a diphephetso tsa monahano ho batho ba so ka ba tseba khomphutha ho hang. Mabapi le taba ena, diphuputso tsena di etseditswe ho hlahisa mekutu ya ho fumana mekgwa e metjha ya ho thusa batho ba baholo ba sa tsebeng letho ka komphutha, haholoholo mona Afrika Borwa, ho fumana tsebo e tshwanelehang (ke ho re, thuto ya motheo ya khomphutha) e le ho theha menyetla ya kgiro ya bona esita le ho ntlafatsa bophelo ba bona. Tshebediso ya Pedagogical Interface Agents (Di-PIA) ke o mong wa mehlala wa mekgwa eo e metjha. Ka dilemo tse ngata tse fetileng ho ile ha etswa diphuputso tse ngata tsa bokgoni ba di-PIA hore ke bofe bakeng sa ho ntshetsa pele boithuto ba thuto ena. Diphetho tse fumanweng diphuputsong tsena di ile tsa totobatsa hore di-PIA di ka ntlafatsa boithuto ba moithuti, ho ba le seabo le ho kgothala. Leha ho le jwalo, bongata ba diphuputso tsena bo tobane le dihlopha tsa batho ba dilemo tse tlohang ho tsa bongwana ho isa ho baithuti ba kholetjhe pele ba fihlella kgau ya thuto. Ha ho a ka ha shejwa hakaalo tshebediso ya di-PIA thutong ya batho ba baholo, esita le ho kwetlisetso ya ho tseba ho sebedisa khomphutha, haholoholo tikolohong eo ho sebediswang dikhomphutha. Sepheo sa diphuputso tsena e ne e le ho theha ka ho sebedisa diteko tsa mosebedisi hore na ho kenyeletswa ha mefuta e fapaneng ya Di-PIA ho ka ntlafatsa le ho potlakisa kwetliso ya ho tseba ho sebedisa khomphutha (haholoholo tikolohong ya ho sebediswa ha dikhomphutha) bakeng sa batho ba sa tsebeng ho sebedisa khomphutha mona Afrika Borwa. E le ho fihlela sepheo sena, Simulated Microsoft Office Word System (SMOS), tshebetso ya bonketsisane ya khomphutha e kenyeletsang 10 Di-PIA (e fapanang ho ya ka sebopeho, bong, lentswe le tlhaho) e sebedisitswe hammoho le MS Word e le ho bokella dintlha tse hlokehang bakeng sa diphuputso tsena. Tekolo ya tlhahlobo e akaretsang e ile ya etswa diphuputsong tsena. Mokgahlelo wa phethahatso o ile wa kgethwa e le mokgahlelo o tshwanelehang ka ho fetisisa bakeng sa diphuputso tsena tsa jwale. Diphuputso tsena di sebedisitse mekgwa e kopaneng e yang e lebile nqa e le nngwe mme e kopana qetellong. Bankakarolo ba diphuputso e ne e le sehlopha sa batho ba baholo ba tswang Yunivesithing ya Mangaung ya Freistata (Free State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP)) ba neng ba tseba, ba bile ba bua English, ba ne ba se na thuto ena ya tlwaelo ya molao mme ha ba so tsebe khomphutha ho hang. E le ho kgona ho hlahloba hantle tshebediso ya 10 Di-PIA e hoketsweng ho SMOS, bankakarolo ba ne ba arotswe dihlopha tse pedi, e leng sehlopha sa teko (ba kwetlisitsweng ka SMOS, e hoketseng di-PIA) le sehlopha sa taolo (se kwetlitsweng ka MS Word, ka ntle ho di-PIA). Kamora moo, bankakarolo ba tswang dihlopheng ka bobedi ba filwe mesebetsi e 11 ya dikhomphutha e le ho qetella tshebetso ya bona ya dikhomphutha (ke ho re, SMOS kapa MS Word) e le karolo ya ho hlahloba mosebedisi. Diphuputsong tsena ho theilwe tshepo le tshwaneleho ka ho sebedisa mekgwa e fapaneng ya dintlha, tse neng di amana ka ho otloloha le sepheo sa diphuputso le merero ya tsona. Diphuputso tsa pulamadiboho di ile tsa etswa e le ho hlahloba ho nepahala ha mekgwa ya pokello ya dintlha e sebedisitsweng diphuputsong tsena. Teko ya mosebedisi diphuputsong tsena e ne e reretswe ho lekanya makgabane a mararo a bosebedisi, e leng bokgoni (bo methwang ka ho sebedisa mekutu ya mesebetsi), bohlwahlwa (e methwang ka diphoso tsa bomong le palo yohle ya diphoso) le kgotsofalo (e methwang ka lenane la dipotso la boiphihlelo ba mosebedisi le amanang le palo e hlahang ho kakaretso ya diphuputso, boithabiso e le karolo ya diphuputso, le tjantlello ya ho ba le seabo diphuputsong tse jwalo ka nako e tlang). Ditemoho le dipuisano di sebedisitswe ho utlwisisa dintlha tsa bohlwahlwa, bokgoni le kgotsofalo. Dintlha tsohle tse bokelletsweng tsa mosebedisi di sekasekilwe ka ho sebedisa mekgwa ya teko ya dipalopalo. Diphetho tsa tshekatsheko ya dipapiso di bontshitse hore bankakarolo ba sehlopha sa teko (e kwetlisitsweng ka SMOS, e kenyeletsang di-PIA) e hlotse bankakarolo ba sehlopha sa taolo (e kwetlisitsweng ka MS Word, ka ntle ho di-PIA) ho bokgoni le bohlwahlwa. Mabapi le kgotsofalo, ha ho phapano e hlokometsweng pakeng tsa bankakarolo ba tswang dihlopheng tse pedi. Ho ya ka diphihlello tsa diphuputso tsena, ho ka etswa qeto ya tshebediso ya -PIA e ka thusa ho hlola mathata a mangata a basebedisi ba dikhomphutha nakong ya kwetliso ya ho ithuta khomphutha tikolohong ya lefatshe la boraro jwaloka Afrika Borwa. Leha ho le jwalo, ho kgothaletswa hore ho sibollwe tshebetso ya dintlha tsa bohlokwa, tse kang makgabane a barutwana ba batho ba baholo, makgabane a bonahalang ka ntle a di-PIA le barutwana ba batho ba baholo bakeng sa kgotsofalo le bokgoni ba tshebetso. ___________________________________________________________________𝑰𝒔𝒊𝒁𝒖𝒍𝒖 Inkinga enkulu yokungakwazi ukusebenzisa ikhompuyutha kubantu abadala basemazweni asathuthuka, njengeNingizimu Afrikha, ivimbela laba bantu ukuthi babe yingxenye yabasebenzi njengoba amakhono ekhompyutha asephenduke enye yezidingo ezinkulu zokungena emakethe yemisebenzi. Enye inselelo yaleli qembu ukuthi iningi lokuqeqeshwa kwamanje kolwazi lwekhompyutha yabadala lwenziwa kusetshenziswa izindlela ezifana nokuqeqeshwa okujwayelekile kanye nokufunda kwi-inthanethi. Ngokuvamile lezi zindlela zibeka izinselelo engqondweni kubantu abangakaze basebenzise ikhompuyutha. Ngokuhambisana nalokhu, lolu cwaningo lwenziwe ngomzamo wokuthola izindlela ezintsha zokusiza abantu abadala abangakwazi ukusebenzisa ikhompuyutha, ikakhulukazi eNingizimu Afrikha, ukuze bathole ulwazi oludingekayo (okungukuthi ulwazi lwekhompyutha oluyisisekelo) ukuze kuthuthukiswe amathuba abo okukwazi ukuqasheka kanye nokwenza ngcono izimpilo zabo. Ukusetshenziswa kwama-Pedagogical Interface Agents (PIAs) kungenye yesibonelo sendlela entsha. Ngokuhamba kweminyaka, kwenziwe ucwaningo oluningi mayelana namandla ama-PIAs ekuthuthukiseni ukufunda. Imiphumela etholwe kulolo cwaningo itshengise ukuthi ama-PIA angathuthukisa ukufunda kwabafundi, ukuzibandakanya kanye nokugqugquzela. Kodwa-ke, iningi lalezi zifundo zigxile kumaqembu abantu beminyaka yobudala kusukela ebuntwaneni kuya kubafundi basekolishi. Kuye kwanakwa kancane ekusetshenzisweni kwama-PIA ekufundeni kwabantu abadala, nasekuqeqesheni ukufunda ngekhompyutha, ikakhulukazi endaweni yokucubungula amagama. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukusungula, ngokuhlolwa komsebenzisi, ukuthi ukufakwa kwezinhlobonhlobo zama-PIA kungathuthukisa futhi kusize ukuqeqeshwa ukusebenzisa ikhompuyutha (ikakhulukazi endaweni yokucubungula amagama) kwabangakwazi ukusebenzisa ikhompuyutha abantu abadala eNingizimu Afrikha. Ukuze kuzuzwe le nhloso, kusetshenziswe I-Simulated Microsoft Office Word System (SMOS), isistimu yokulingisa amagama ehlanganisa ama-PIA angu-10 (ehluka ngokubukeka, ubulili, izwi kanye neqiniso) isetshenziswe ngokuhlanganyela neMS Word ukuze kuqoqwe ulwazi oludingekayo kulolu cwaningo. Kusetshenziswe ukuhlolwa kokusebenziseka kulolu cwaningo. Ipharadayimu ipragmatist ikhethwe njengepharadayimu efanelekile yocwaningo lwamanje. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise indlela exubile ikhwantithethivu nekhwalithethivu. Ababambiqhaza bocwaningo abantu abadala abavela eNyuvesi yaseMangaung yeFree State Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP) ababekwazi ukuqonda nokukhuluma isiNgisi, abanemfundo encane noma bengenayo nhlobo futhi ababengakaze basebenzise ikhompuyutha ngaphambilini. Ukuze kuhlolwe kangcono ukusebenziseka kwama-PIA ayi-10 afakwe kwi-SMOS, ababambiqhaza bahlukaniswa ngamaqembu amabili, okuyiqembu lokuhlola (eliqeqeshwe nge-SMOS, elihlanganisa ama-PIA) kanye neqembu elilawulayo (eliqeqeshwe nge-MS Word, ngaphandle kwama-PIA). Ngemva kwalokho, ababambiqhaza bawo womabili amaqembu banikezwa imisebenzi eyi-11 eyisisekelo yokucubungula amagama ukuze bayenze besebenzisa amasistimu abo (okungukuthi i-SMOS noma i-MS Word) njengengxenye yokuhlola komsebenzisi. Kulolu cwaningo, ukwethembeka nobuqiniso kwasungulwa ngokusetshenziswa kwemithombo eminingi yolwazi, eyayixhumene ngqo nezinhloso nezinjongo zocwaningo. Kwenziwa ucwaningovivinyo ukuhlola ukufaneleka kwezindlela zokuqoqa ulwazi kulolu cwaningo. Ukuhlolwa komsebenzisi okwenziwa kulolu cwaningo bekufuna ukukala izibaluli ezintathu zokusebenziseka, okungukuthi ukusebenza kahle (okukalwa ngemizamo yomsebenzi), ukusebenza kahle (kukalwa ngabo bobabili abantu kanye nenani eliphelele lamaphutha) nokwaneliseka (kukalwa ngohlu lwemibuzo lomsebenzisi okuhlobene nenani elifundwe ocwaningweni lulonke, ukujabulela ukuba yingxenye yocwaningo, kanye nokuzimisela ukubamba iqhaza ocwaningweni olufanayo esikhathini esizayo). Ucwaningo ngokuqaphela nezingxoxo kwasetshenziswa ukuze kuhambisane futhi kuqonde kangcono ukusebenza kahle, ukusebenza ngokushesha kanye nolwazi lokwaneliseka. Lonke ulwazi lokuhlola lomsebenzisi oluqoqiwe lwahlaziywa kusetshenziswa izindlela zokuhlola zezibalo zokuqhathanisa. Imiphumela yokuhlaziya okuqhathanisayo itshengise ukuthi ababambiqhaza beqembu lokuhlola (abaqeqeshwe nge-SMOS, ehlanganisa ama-PIA) basebenze kahle kakhulu kunababambiqhaza beqembu lokulawula (abaqeqeshwe nge-MS Word, ngaphandle kwama-PIA) kukho kokubili ukusebenza kahle kanye nempumelelo. Mayelana nokwaneliseka, akukho mehluko ophawulwe phakathi kwababambiqhaza bamaqembu amabili. Ngokutholwe kulolu cwaningo, kungaphethwa ngokuthi ukusetshenziswa kwama-PIA kungasiza ekunqobeni izinkinga eziningi ezibhekene nabasebenzisi bekhompuyutha abadala abangakwazi ukusebenzisa ikhompuyutha ngesikhathi sokuqeqeshelwa ukukwazi ukusebenzisa ikhompuyutha endaweni esathuthuka efana neNingizimu Afrikha. Kodwa-ke, kuphakanyiswa ukuthi izici ezibalulekile, njengezimpawu zabafundi abadala, izici ezibonakalayo zangaphandle zama-PIA, nokwaneliseka kwabafundi abadala/amandla okusebenzisa isistimu, zidinga ukuhlolwa ngendlela ehlelekile. ___________________________________________________________________enComputer literacyHuman-computer interactionsFunctional literacyComputer-assisted instructionAdulthoodThesisUniversity of the Free State