Potchefstroom Campus Research Articles

SEM image processing as an alternative method to determine chromite pre-reduction

MSc (Engineering Sciences in Chemical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Designing a digital pedagogical pattern for improving foreign language learners’ oral proficiency

South African undergraduate foreign language students need more opportunity to practise their oral language skills. Not only do appeals to focus more on oral productive skills feature in scholarly literature (Delena-le Roux 2010), it is also one of the main conclusions from a survey among beginner students of French at the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University (South Africa). It was therefore necessary to design a teaching and learning intervention, specifically aimed at improving beginner students’ oral communication skills in French. Laurillard’s (2012) Conversational Framework inspired the design of a digital pedagogical pattern (DPP), consisting of context and pedagogy descriptors for the development of foreign language learners’ oral communication skills. The Conversational Framework analyses formal learning and challenges the use of new technologies in learning. The implementation process of a DPP for the development of students’ (French) oral skills involved three cycles, each with specific outcomes and three groups of participants: the control group and two experimental groups. Field-testing the proposed DPP provided important insights which should be integrated in the design of subsequent digital pedagogical patterns in the specific context: limiting the participant groups to two; decreasing the number of interventions to be implemented in the limited teaching time of a semester; ensuring that each step adheres to the requirements of the Conversational Framework. Student results from the learning interventions in future studies should reveal which intervention better promotes oral communication skills.

A comparison of mollusc diversity between the relatively pristine Marico River and the impacted Crocodile River, two major tributaries of the Limpopo River, South Africa

A study of the freshwater mollusc diversity was conducted at selected sites in the relatively pristine Marico River and the impacted Crocodile River, the major tributaries of the Limpopo River. Four surveys were conducted, two in an early (May 2013 and 2014) and two in a late (November 2013 and 2014) low-flow period. Semi-quantitative surveys were done by sampling the vegetation, as well as the substratum, with a standard SASS net for approximately 15 min each. Environmental parameters including water temperature, electrical conductivity (EC) and pH were measured at each site. Molluscs were identified up to species level, sorted, counted, and the presence of juvenile specimens recorded. Historical data for the 1/16 th degree square grids (loci), in which each of the sampling sites of the current study was located, were extracted from the National Freshwater Snail Collection at the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. During this study, 20 and 9 species were recovered from the Marico and Crocodile Rivers, respectively, as compared to 13 and 12 species on record for these loci, respectively. Juvenile specimens were present during the four surveys at most of the sites. Canonical correspondence analyses were applied which revealed that biotopes, water temperature and EC played the most significant role in the distribution and abundance of species. The relatively high mollusc diversity and the fact that juveniles were present throughout the study, demonstrated that current habitat and environmental conditions were suitable to promote recruitment and the sustainability of diverse mollusc populations in the Marico River and its tributaries. However, in contrast to this, the exploitation of and habitat transformation in the Crocodile River has resulted in the decrease of biotopes which eventually could have led to the decrease in diversity and the establishment of P. acuta , an exotic invader species. Keywords : freshwater molluscs, biodiversity, Marico River, Crocodile River, environmental variables

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING THE SOCIAL CAPITAL OF THE NWU DISTANCE LEARNING COMMUNITY

Discussions of dialogue have been at the heart of Distance Learning (well known in the theories of Borge, Holmberg and Moore). This theoretical article focuses on formulating criteria for evaluating the social capital of a particular Distance Learning community, at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus (NWU), and attempts to put forward specific thoughts regarding the importance of dialogue as a key pedagogical method within the Distance Learning setting at NWU through which social capital is being shaped. A number of educationalists recently re-examined the position that dialogue occupies in the Distance Learning setting. Distance Learning is to facilitate through a distance; these students and lecturers are divided physically in occasion and space. Consequently, Distance Learning students and lecturers lack the communal physical attendance that is imperative for communication. In Distance Learning, many communication pathways are imprecise. This article specifically deals with the essentially dialogic nature of the educational dialogue in Distance Learning, and the need to establish criteria for evaluating the social capital of a particular Distance Learning community.Â

STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE USE OF INTERACTIVE WHITE BOARDS IN THE DELIVERY OF DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMMES

Due to the need for higher education in South Africa, the country experiences a rapid growth in open distance learning, especially in rural areas. Owing to work pressure and financial constraints, people find it difficult to enrol full time at contact universities. The Unit for Open Distance Learning (UODL) at the Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University (NWU), South Africa, was established in 2013, with its main function to deliver open distance learning programmes to 30 000 students from the Faculties of Education Sciences, Theology and Health Sciences.Utilising interactive whiteboards (IWBs), the NWU and UODL are now able to deliver lectures to students concurrently at 55 regional open learning centres across Southern Africa, as well as to an unlimited number of individuals with Internet access worldwide. Although IWBs are not new, our initiative is to use them more extensively to create more contact between lecturers and students.To ensure and enhance quality education it is vital to determine students’ perceptions on the delivery of programmes by means of IWBs. Thus the aim of the study is to explore students’ perceptions of the use of IWBs in the delivery of programmes.

Autobiography, autofiction, representation, interrogation, remembering and forgetting

Introduction to the Autobiography edition articles.

The Law Faculty of the NWU Potchefstroom Campus celebrates its half Centenary

The Law Faculty of the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, is celebrating its half centenary in 2015, having been founded in 1965. Law subjects were first introduced in 1932 after the Senate had decided on 11 November 1931 to accept the recommendations of a commission which had to examine the possibilities of adding law subjects for the BA degree. The newly found Law Faculty held its first meeting on 4 August 1965.

Understanding the Implications of Mitochondrial DNA Variation in the Health of Black Southern African Populations: The 2014 Workshop.

Understanding the Implications of Mitochondrial DNA Variation in the Health of Black Southern African Populations: The 2014 Workshop.

WORKING AS A SECURITY GUARD ON POTCHEFSTROOM CAMPUS: ISSUES, CHALLENGES AND COPING STRATEGIES

ABSTRACTStudies on the private security industry have mainly focused on the growth of private security firms and the regulation thereof. Research focusing on the working experiences of security guards has been notably absent. However, in a recent article, Sefalafala and Webster (2013) have addressed this issue by surveying and interviewing security guards in Gauteng, a South African province. Although their study is very thorough on a number of levels, there are some important limitations. In this article, I add to this literature by highlighting the importance of place and agency in such discussions. This article addresses these limitations, by focusing on job-related issues and challenges security guards working at a particular place (North-West University's Potchefstroom campus) experience on a daily basis and what agency (coping strategies) security guards use to overcome these issues and challenges. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with a manager and 20 security guards working at Potchefstroom campus were conducted. Verbal abuse by white students, the effect of irregular shifts on security guards and their families, and boredom were some of the main issues and challenges found to be associated with their job. Security guards show different levels of agency in coping with these job-related issues and challenges.

SASPEN Case Study: Nutritional management of a patient at high risk of developing refeeding syndrome

The following case study was discussed during the fourth-year dietetics evaluation process at North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. It is a reflection of the opinion of the dietitians, students and lecturers involved, describes the actions taken during the nutritional management of the case, and is based on current literature and guidelines relevant to the topic.

The relationship between productive knowledge of collocations and academic literacy in tertiary level students

This research explores tertiary level L2 students’ mastery of the collocations pertaining to the Academic Word List (AWL) and the extent to which their knowledge of collocations grows alongside their academic literacy. A collocation test modelled on Laufer and Nation (1999), with target words selected from Coxhead’s (2000) AWL was administered to students from theNorth-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. Results indicate that these collocations pose problems for L2 students. This finding supports and complements Nesselhauf’s (2005) and Laufer and Waldman’s (2011) findings that collocations are challenging for L2 students, even at advanced levels. Furthermore, scores in the collocation test correlate significantly with the Test of Academic Literacy Levels (TALL), indicating that knowledge of collocations corresponds to students’ academic literacy. The pedagogical consequences these results have for the widespread attempt to improve tertiary level students’ use of collocations in writing are discussed1. Key words : productive knowledge of collocations, academic literacy, academic word list, L2 writing

Posters presented at the School of Environmental Sciences and Development of the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa on 05 October 2012

Plakkate aangebied by die Skool vir Omgewingswetenskappe en Ontwikkeling, Noordwes-Universiteit, Potchefstroomkampus, Suid-Afika op 05 Oktober 2012

Gender and Jewishness: A Greimassian Analysis of <i>Susanna</i>

This article investigates the possible gender agenda of Susanna. Gender is one of the most debated issues in the study of the story. A frequently asked question is: “does Susanna reinforce or undermine patriarchy?” Most scholars, mainly feminists, are pessimistic and suspicious about the subversive programme of Susanna. This study addresses the above concern using the Greimassian approach to narratives, as refined by Everaert-Desmedt. The approach comprises three levels of analysis: the figurative, the narrative and the thematic. Results from preliminary analysis appear to highlight “Jewishness” as the main concern here. True Jewishness seems to depend exclusively on the commitment to the Law, regardless of gender. A woman such as Susanna, committed to the Law even to the cost of her life, is a true Jew (θυγάτηρ Ἰούδας). Men like the elders, opposing the Law, are corrupt and corrupting strangers (σπέρμα Χανάαν). Accordingly, Susanna undermines rather than reinforces patriarchy. 1 This article is part of the author’s postdoctoral studies at the North-West University, under the supervision of Prof Pierre J. Jordaan. It is a part of the third chapter of the author’s PhD thesis presented at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North West University (South Africa) under the supervision of Prof Pierre J Jordaan, in 2009. The text of Susanna that will be used here is essentially the Theodotion version. This version has a most elaborate narrative focussing more on Susanna than the LXX does. In this study, Susanna (italicized) refers to the story of Susanna while Susanna (non-italicized) refers to its female protagonist. The apocryphal story of Susanna is an addition found at the end of the Greek book of Daniel in the LXX (cf. chapter 13). The LXX Greek text is quoted from Rahlfs’ (1996) edition of the LXX. Acta Theologica 2014: 1 69

Student perceptions of customer experience in a higher education environment

Orientation: Higher education institutions (HEIs) are facing many challenges such as intense competition and a decrease in government subsidies. Creating more satisfied undergraduate students with a high level of loyalty can increase retention of students.Research purpose: The main aim of the study was to measure students’ level of loyalty, advocacy intentions and perceptions of customer experience during service encounters with administrative staff of the North-West University.Motivation for the study: Positive experiences by students on-campus can increase their satisfaction levels which will lead to an increased propensity for further studies, develop a sense of loyalty and increase advocacy intentions to promote the university to others.Research approach, design and method: This quantitative research followed a descriptive research design. Self-administered questionnaires were handed out to 1295 students on the 3 campuses of the university.Main findings: Students on the Potchefstroom campus show much higher loyalty and advocacy intentions than their counterparts on the Vaal and Mafikeng campuses. Overall the findings indicate that the students have very positive perceptions of the professional appearance of staff members, and also think that their personal information is handled in a secure manner. Male and female students did not differ in their levels of customer experience. European language-speaking students reported a higher level of customer experience compared to their African language-speaking counterparts. The customer experience levels of students in the Potchefstroom Faculty of Health Sciences are higher than students in the Vaal Faculty of Humanities.Practical/managerial implications: It could be beneficial for the management of tertiary institutions to gain insight into the sources or factors that constitute positive experiences for students, for example convenient opening hours and ease of contacting staff by telephone. The training of newly appointed and existing staff could also be enhanced when they are sensitised regarding students’ perceptions of positive customer experiences.Contribution/value-add: The adoption of strategies by HEIs to attract and retain students and render excellent services will result in loyal ambassadors who will demonstrate high advocacy intentions.

Constitutional Socio-Economic Rights and International Law: "You are not Alone"

The second oratio was a keynote speech delivered by Torsten Stein, the Director of the Institute of European Studies and holder of the chair for European law and European Public Law at Saarland University, Germany. He delivered his speech during November 2012 at the 3rd Human Rights Indaba on The Role of International Law in Understanding and Applying the Socio-economic Rights in South Africa's Bill of Rights, which was held by the Faculty of Law (NWU, Potchefstroom Campus) in collaboration with the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation. He shared some thoughts about the nature, development and implementation of socio-economic rights within an international and European setting. The next nine articles make up the bulk of this issue.

The Relationship between Courts and the Other Arms of Government in Promoting and Protecting Socio-economic Rights in South Africa: What About Separation of Powers?

first contribution is a keynote speech delivered by Judge Dennis Davis, a Judge of the High Court, Cape Town and Judge President of the Competition Appeal Court. His speech was delivered on 16 November 2012, at the 3rd Human Rights Indaba on The Role of International Law in Understanding and Applying the Socio-economic Rights in South Africa's Bill of Rights, co-hosted by the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation and the Faculty of Law of North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus. Judge Davis investigates the relationship between courts and the other arms of government in promoting and protecting socio-economic rights in South Africa and airs his views on the doctrine of the separation of powers.

Complicated Grief in the South African Context: A Social Work Perspective

Dr Cornelia Drenth is employed by the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa in the capacity of Palliative Care Development Officer (Northwest Hospices). She has held a part-time private practice as a social worker for the past thirteen years (loss, grief and bereavement, trauma counselling, Road Accident Fund). Her field of expertise is social work in health care, with specific emphasis on loss and bereavement as well as conducting workshops in this regard. Her knowledge base includes palliative care, people living with disabilities, oncology, neurology, rehabilitation, and trauma management. Cornelia Drenth completed a Ph.D. (SW) from the North-West University (Potchefstroom, SA). She co-authored five published articles and contributed to The Legal Aspects of Palliative Care, published by HPCA. Alida Herbst (Ph.D.) is an associate professor and chair person of the Social Work Division in the School for Psychosocial Behavioural Sciences at the Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University, South Africa. Before entering academia, she worked as a medical social worker in 1 Military Hospital as well as a number of private hospitals in South Africa. She specialises in trauma and bereavement work and presents a number of workshops called the Comfort, Care and Compassion series. She has a particular interest in life story work and co-authored a book with the title Memory Work: Telling Your Story through Life Maps. Her research focuses on the psycho-social health of individuals, groups and communities. She has a keen interest in the community engagement activities of the university and is the chairperson of the Student Rag Community Services (SRCS) Advisory Board. The SRCS annually engage 3,000 student volunteers in ninety-two community projects focusing on early childhood development, youth development, support to vulnerable adults and a number of outreach projects. Alida firmly believes in creating co-constructed learning environments whenever she teaches. The ripples-on-apond model of teaching and learning offers an excellent framework for experiential learning and reflective practice which allows her to integrate narratives and art in her teaching on basically all graduate levels. It is particularly valuable when topics like ethics, the professional self, beginner’s practice and stress management form part of the teaching curriculum. She has presented a number of papers on related topics at both international and national conferences and has published a number of national and international scholarly articles. Prof. Herman Strydom was previously a staff member of the University of Pretoria and has since 1987 been appointed as associate professor and since 1999 as professor in Social Work at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. He was also the Subject Head for Social Work for fourteen years until the end of 2012. His interest regarding subject matter focuses on HIV and AIDS, gerontology, crime and research methodology. He is author and co-author of 104 accredited journal articles, while he is also author and co-author of forty-four chapters in various textbooks and related publications. Herman Strydom is a NRF-rated scientist on level C3. He was involved in presenting eighty-two papers at national and eighty-six at international conferences.

Investigating the appropriateness of the theory of organisational knowledge creation as a management model for practice-led research

This article explores ways in which current practice of conducting multipractitioner practiceled research projects in the creative disciplines (Graphic Design, History of Art and Creative Writing) at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, may benefit from the application of a specific managerial theory which focuses on knowledge creation. To this end, the concepts propounded in the theory of organisational knowledge creation, as conceptualised by Nonaka and colleagues, are investigated and a number of compatible and complementary aspects shared by this theory and practice-led research are highlighted. Guiding this article was the argument that the conceptualisation of knowledge as a subjective and socially constructed phenomenon is central to both this theory and research mode. Furthermore, I argue that an integration of tacit and explicit knowledge provides for a holistic view of knowledge that would not be possible if one were to view knowledge in reductively scientific terms. Consequently, the transdisciplinary practice-based research project, Transgressions and boundaries of the page is analysed in terms of the socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation(SECI) knowledge conversion modes, which are the driving force, facilitating the move from tacit to explicit knowledge by means of social interaction. The aim of the Transgressions and boundaries of the page project was to create an exhibition of artists’ books, which would form the beginning of a knowledge creation cycle. Forty artists were invited to create artists’ books for exhibitions held in Stellenbosch, Potchefstroom and Johannesburg in 2010. Those artists involved were selected from various fields of arts as well as related fields. It is concluded that the utilisation of knowledge management in multipractitioner practice-led research projects such as this one, within the creative disciplines at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, will facilitate a better understanding of knowledge management and will yield more effective knowledge creation in that both tacit and explicit knowledge is utilised optimally.

Erratum

South African Journal of EconomicsVolume 80, Issue 1 p. 134-134 Free Access Erratum This article corrects the following: AN ASEAN–EU FTA, REGIONAL PRODUCTION SHARING, AND REGIONAL COHESION. FOCUS ON CAMBODIA, LAOS AND MYANMAR LURONG CHEN, LUDO CUYVERS, PHILIPPE DE LOMBAERDE, WAHYU MUKTI KUSUMANINGTIAS, Volume 79Issue 4South African Journal of Economics pages: 411-427 First Published online: December 22, 2011 First published: 19 March 2012 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1813-6982.2012.01325.xCitations: 2AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat In 1, the following information was omitted: Prof Cuywers, Department Belgium and Department of Economics, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, North-West Province, South Africa. We would like to apologize for this error. REFERENCE 1 CHEN, L., CUYVERS, L., LOMBAERDE, P. D. and KUSUMANINGTIAS, W. M. (2011). An ASEAN–EU FTA, Regional Production Sharing, And Regional Cohesion. Focus On Cambodia, Laos And Myanmar. South African Journal of Economics, 79: 411- 427. doi: 10.1111/j.1813-6982.2011.01312.x Wiley Online LibraryWeb of Science®Google Scholar Citing Literature Volume80, Issue1March 2012Pages 134-134 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Access to Education and Training: Pathway to Decent Work for Women

On 13 August 2011 Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke delivered the keynote address at the Annual General Conference of the South African Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges held on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. We are pleased to open this edition with this address in which he concluded: 'We need judges who are needs driven and who are determined to vindicate rights of aggrieved litigants impartially and without fear or favor. That deep instinct of fairness which seems to abound in women would be a great asset to our judiciary.'