https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/11921 Tue, 05 May 2026 11:06:06 GMT 2026-05-05T11:06:06Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29912 Research collaboration in asymmetric power relations: A study of postgraduate students’ views Van Biljon, Judy; Mwapwele, Samwel Collaboration among researchers and across disciplinary, organisational and cultural boundaries is essential for addressing the increasingly complex challenges and opportunities facing international development. Despite the known advantages and various incentives, research collaboration within Africa (specifically within South Africa) is lacking. To better understand the reasons for this lack of research collaboration, this study explored collaboration between students and supervisors in an information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) postgraduate student project in South Africa. South Africa, a country with major social inequalities and asymmetric power relations, provides an appropriate context. The students’ perspectives provided a space for investigating the collaboration factors by unpacking the capability inputs according to Robeyns’ representation of personal capabilities. Data were captured from a survey and focus groups (FG) with students and supervisors in ICT4D from different universities in South Africa. Thematic analysis was used to identify and link the participants’ expectations of research collaboration with their perceptions of the challenges of such collaborations. The contribution is a conceptualisation of the main components representing research collaboration viewed in terms of personal capabilities, including the factors that influence collaboration. Transdisciplinarity contribution: Research collaboration is fundamental to promoting multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary research. The novelty of this study lies in applying a theoretical lens from the field of human development to explore research collaboration in the transdisciplinary field of ICT4D. Given the research application context and the theoretical lens applied, the findings have implications for initiatives and policies on funding transdisciplinary research collaboration. Thu, 16 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29912 2023-02-16T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29819 A Conceptual Framework for the Development of Argumentation Skills Using CSCL in a Graduate Students’ Research Course van der Merwe, O. R.; Van Biljon, Judy; Pilkington C, / Developing and presenting a well-formulated research argument is core to the learning journey of a graduate student. In open distance e-learning, computer-supported learning is instrumental in providing a platform for graduate students to develop their argumentation skills. However, there is little guidance on the elements required in using computer supportive collaborative learning (CSCL) to augment argumentation skills development (ASD). This paper reports on elements identified in literature that should be present in a framework using CSCL to augment ASD. The thematically analysed data gathered during the focus group sessions were used to confirm the structure of the argumentation skills development framework (ASDF), and confirmed that there is a need for a framework to provide guidance in using CSCL to augment ASD. The contribution includes the conceptual ASDF using CSCL, comprising seven elements, that provides a strategy of scaffolded learning for implementation in a graduate course to augment ASD. Thu, 07 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29819 2022-07-07T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29612 Reflections on the Maturity of the Mobile Communication Technology for Development (M4D) Landscape: 2008 - 2016 Van Biljon, Judy; Renaud, Karen The 2018 M4D conference marks a decade of dynamic growth in the Mobile Communication Technology for Development (M4D) discipline. This paper reflects on the developments and maturity of the field based on a systematic literature review of the research papers published in the biennial M4D conference series (2008-2016). The findings offer a comprehensive overview of what was studied (application domains), where the research took place (geographic locations), by whom (the researchers affiliations), how the research was carried out (methodologies) and how the research contributed to the maturity of the M4D field. We conclude by summarising the insights gained from our investigation, with the goal of enriching discussions on how M4D research has evolved, where research gaps may exist and what can be gained by retaining a M4D theoretical corpus. Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29612 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29457 Usability Requirements for Learning Management Systems in Open Distance Electronic Learning Environments: Considering Lecturers’ Views on Students’ Needs Lehong, Sewisha; Van Biljon, Judy; Sanders, Ian The 2020 health pandemic brought renewed interest in using learning management systems (LMSs) to deliver educational services as routinely done in open distance and electronic learning (ODeL) environments. LMSs usability has been researched but the lecturers’ perspective remains unexplored. The purpose of this study was to propose validated usability guidelines for an LMS in an ODeL context. A set of usability requirements was abstracted from the literature and used as the basis for a heuristic evaluation (HE) of the institution’s LMS. These results of the HE was triangulated with three other usability evaluation methods including usability testing with eye tracking, a post-test system usability scale (SUS) questionnaire and interviews. The primary contribution is the validated usability requirements for ODeL LMSs based on the lecturers’ perspective. A secondary contribution is the triangulation approach to evaluating the guidelines in situ which confirmed HE as a valid evaluation method for LMSs. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29457 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z