South Africa has a high-cost, low-performance education system, which ultimately leads to unemployment and a skill shortage in the country. In order to bridge the skill shortage gap at a tertiary level, the Stellenbosch Learning Factory (SLF) was established. Learning factories involve experiential learning in a production environment through 'learning by doing'. Gamification, one of the teaching methods used in the SLF, is investigated as a possible answer to South Africa's educational problems. Learning factories can be used to train employees: the knowledge transfer resulting from real production conditions is favoured because process improvements can be implemented or practised without any real production downtime. The aim of this study was to determine the learning contribution of the games implemented at the SLF. This was accomplished by developing a three-dimensional matrix that employs a revised version of Bloom's taxonomy to measure the learning success of the educational games at the SLF.
OPSOMMINGSuid-Afrika het 'n hoë koste, lae uitkoms onderwysstelsel, wat bydra tot die werkloosheid en die tekort in vaardigheid in die land. Om die vaardigheidsgaping op 'n tersiêre vlak te oorbrug, is die 'Stellenbosch Learning Factory' (SLF) gestig. Leer fabrieke behels eksperimentele onderrig in 'n produksie omgewing deur gebruik te maak van 'n 'leer deur doen' benadering. 'Gamification', een van die onderrigmetodes wat gebruik word in die SLF, word ondersoek as 'n moontlike verbetering op die onderrig probleem in Suid-Afrika. Leer fabrieke kan gebruik word om werknemers op te lei, omdat die kennisoordrag wat ontstaan vanuit die werklike produksietoestande bevoordeel word, aangesien prosesverbeteringe implementeer en beoefen kan word sonder onderbreking van produksie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die leerbydrae van die opvoedkundige speletjies wat geïmplementeer is by die SLF te bepaal. Dit is bereik deur die ontwikkeling van 'n drie-dimensionele matriks wat die hersiende weergawe van Bloom se taksonomie gebruik om die leersukses van die opvoedkundige speletjies by die SLF te bepaal.
This paper explores the concept of clustering in general, analysing research and experiences in different countries and regions, and summarising factors leading to success or contributing to failure of specific cluster initiatives. Based on this, requirements for the establishment of clusters are summarised. Next, initiatives especially in the South African tool and die making (TDM) industry are considered. Through a benchmarking approach, the strengths and weaknesses of individual local tool rooms are analysed, and conclusions are drawn particularly about South African characteristics of the industry. From these results, and from structured interviews with individual tool room owners, difficulties in the establishment of a South African tooling cluster are explored, and specific areas of concern are pointed out.
OPSOMMINGHierdie artikel kyk in die algemeen na die beginsel van groeperingsnetwerk, gebaseer op navorsing en ondervinding van die beginsel in verskillende lande en streke, en 'n analise van die faktore wat kan lei tot sukses of wat moontlik bydra tot falings met spesifieke groeperingsnetwerk inisiatiewe. Gebaseer daarop word die voorwaardes vir die daarstelling van so 'n groeperingsnetwerk bespreek. Van die inisiatiewe in Suid-Afrika, spesifiek in die gereedskap en passtuk vervaardigingsindustrie, word bespreek. Deur 'n ondersoek word sterk en swak punte van individuele gereedskapmakers analiseer, en afleidings word gemaak oor die stand van die industrie in Suid-Afrika oor die algemeen. Met die afleiding en deur middel van gestruktureerde onderhoude met individuele gereedskap werkswinkeleienaars, word probleme in die totstandbrenging van 'n Suid-Afrikaanse gereedskap groepering ondersoek, en spesifieke areas wat verdere analise nodig het, uitgelig.
This research paper illustrates that accurate and truthful capacity assessments are a fundamental phase of any capacity building process, and that capacity assessments play a fundamental role in reaching the necessary performance efficiency. Service delivery performance enhancements by municipalities are becoming increasingly necessary. At the same time, however, the majority of municipalities in South Africa find themselves under-capacitated. Some municipalities are aware of the lack of capacity within their organisation, but are unable to identify, define and quantify these shortcomings. Many other municipalities are not aware of their capacity shortfalls. In both cases, this is often caused by the lack of necessary systems and procedures to assess the different dimensions of organisational capacity. In this regard, this research paper introduces a proposed Subjective Municipal Capacity Self-Assessment Model (SMCSAM) as an alternative solution to the current practices of the Municipal Demarcation Board. It is intended that this model be used internally by municipalities to sustain internal capacity building and performance enhancement initiatives.
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