The poor performance of first year economics students across higher education institutions is a well-established phenomenon (Parker, 2006). The traditional response has been to analyse this poor performance using a production function where factors are identified and their influence measured. The problem, however, may not be solved entirely by looking at the factors, but at the production function i.e. the relationship between learning and the mode of delivery. This article seeks to challenge the traditional mode of lecture-based learning by introducing economic games into the formal tuition programme. The evidence collected during research indicates positive results in terms of students perceptions and performance.
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; background: white; mso-add-space: auto; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black; font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-GB">To create professionals for the future, who will be innovative and internationally competitive, we need to change the learning environment. The current traditional delivery systems of education do not develop the necessary interpersonal, analytical and creative skills to deal with the new knowledge economy. Baer (2005), in calling for a new model of learning, says this will require collaboration between educators and game designers to research how games are best aligned with the targeted learning environment and needs. The incorporation of games will require realistic assessment of the current structure of education so that “students’ ability to participate in complex social practices; learn new knowledge and perform well in novel, changing situations needs to be considered valuable learning” (Squire and Jenkins, 2004, p.31). When games and simulations are combined with technology they can generate the environment within higher education that can produce the highly-skilled professionals which are required.</span></p>
In developing nations, particularly in Africa, agrarian and land reform is part of economic development. The main reason is that no country sustained a transition out of poverty without raising productivity in its agriculture sector (Timmer, 2005). This article examines the process of balancing land and agrarian reform in the agricultural sector in South Africa, where the need for social justice has to be weighed against the potential loss of agricultural production. The process has been likened to balancing deck chairs on the Titanic (Davis, 1993). In addition, the article seeks to measure the level of success achieved since 1994 and to suggest ways forward, by drawing on Brazils experience, where the process has evolved to developing ecological citizenship and agro-ecological production.
Decolonisation should include not only political independence, but also the return of factors of production to the formerly colonised people so that they can use them to participate meaningfully in the economy, facilitating their economic emancipation from former colonial rulers. This not only involves putting the factors of production back into the hands of the colonised but also empowering them to generate wealth. Hence, the re-balancing of the agricultural landscape to actively include small-scale agriculture is part of the decolonisation process. Returning viability and dignity to small-scale farming entails reconnecting people to the land. Therefore, African investments in agriculture need to be focused on small-scale farming so that income inequality and poverty can be alleviated. The paper proposes that the promotion of small-scale agriculture change achieves both the objectives of reversing the impact of colonialism and restoring dignity to Black farming, as well as providing quality employment within local communities. The paper does not suggest that every farm must be small-scale, but that every small-scale farm be given an equal opportunity to produce and contribute to the economy as these farms can provide business opportunities for marginalised groups, namely the youth and women. Hence, the question remains - Where does one acquire the resources and expertise to kick-start the recalibrating of agricultural production on a small-scale? The answer lies in a mixture of finance and business skills from firms through Corporate Social Investment that creates partnerships, both public and private, that sow the seeds of small-scale success.
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