TVET SI: Evaluating Boundary Crossing Social Learning in Vocational Education and Training: A value creation approach
- Lotz-Sisitka, Heila, Sisitka, Lawrence, Chakona, Gamuchirai, Matiwane, Mandilive L, Matambo, Chamu
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , Sisitka, Lawrence , Chakona, Gamuchirai , Matiwane, Mandilive L , Matambo, Chamu
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/389925 , vital:68495 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/238540"
- Description: This article focuses on the development and application of an evaluation model and approach for evaluating boundary crossing social learning in a Vocational Education and Training (VET) learning network in South Africa, with an emphasis on a Training of Trainers (ToT) course that helped to catalyse and strengthen this learning network via two iterations of the course over an eight-year period. The article shares how we adapted the value creation framework (VCF) of Wenger, Traynor and De Laat (2011; Wenger and Wenger-Traynor, 2020) in the evaluation of a VET Training of Trainers (ToT) programme and learning network that focussed on the uptake and circulation of rainwater harvesting and conservation (RWHandC) knowledge in a particular formal and informal VET context in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, where smallholder farmers were struggling to find water for producing food. The evaluated ToT course was catalytic in establishing a boundary crossing social learning network approach in a VET context that linked formal and informal VET (Lotz-Sisitka et al., 2016; Lotz-Sisitka et al., 2022; Pesanayi, 2019); hence we found it important to develop adequate tools for its evaluation. The focus of this article is to share how we developed an evaluation approach to this work. We share insights on the indicators developed for diff erent types of value created, and also insights gained into the use of this evaluation approach in a boundary crossing VET social learning project that took a ToT course as focus. In short, evaluation findings show that the boundary crossing ToT course off ers strong immediate, potential and applied value that can lead to realised and reframed value, especially if supported by ongoing learning network activities that follow the initial engagement in the boundary crossing ToT course. Th is leads, over time, to transformative value which is important in achieving the overall objective of such social learning, namely making knowledge more co-engaging, accessible and useful in the context where improved food security via better use of rainwater harvesting and conservation amongst smallholder farmers and household food producers is a necessary form of sustainable development. Orientation value, and enabling value were found to be vital for the emergence of other kinds of value. The evaluation model also allows for the lifting out of strategic value which points to wider uptake potential. All this creates the possibility for indicator development that can help inform iterative development of boundary crossing VET courses used to stimulate the co-construction of learning networks and ongoing social learning for sustainable development.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , Sisitka, Lawrence , Chakona, Gamuchirai , Matiwane, Mandilive L , Matambo, Chamu
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/389925 , vital:68495 , xlink:href="https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajee/article/view/238540"
- Description: This article focuses on the development and application of an evaluation model and approach for evaluating boundary crossing social learning in a Vocational Education and Training (VET) learning network in South Africa, with an emphasis on a Training of Trainers (ToT) course that helped to catalyse and strengthen this learning network via two iterations of the course over an eight-year period. The article shares how we adapted the value creation framework (VCF) of Wenger, Traynor and De Laat (2011; Wenger and Wenger-Traynor, 2020) in the evaluation of a VET Training of Trainers (ToT) programme and learning network that focussed on the uptake and circulation of rainwater harvesting and conservation (RWHandC) knowledge in a particular formal and informal VET context in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, where smallholder farmers were struggling to find water for producing food. The evaluated ToT course was catalytic in establishing a boundary crossing social learning network approach in a VET context that linked formal and informal VET (Lotz-Sisitka et al., 2016; Lotz-Sisitka et al., 2022; Pesanayi, 2019); hence we found it important to develop adequate tools for its evaluation. The focus of this article is to share how we developed an evaluation approach to this work. We share insights on the indicators developed for diff erent types of value created, and also insights gained into the use of this evaluation approach in a boundary crossing VET social learning project that took a ToT course as focus. In short, evaluation findings show that the boundary crossing ToT course off ers strong immediate, potential and applied value that can lead to realised and reframed value, especially if supported by ongoing learning network activities that follow the initial engagement in the boundary crossing ToT course. Th is leads, over time, to transformative value which is important in achieving the overall objective of such social learning, namely making knowledge more co-engaging, accessible and useful in the context where improved food security via better use of rainwater harvesting and conservation amongst smallholder farmers and household food producers is a necessary form of sustainable development. Orientation value, and enabling value were found to be vital for the emergence of other kinds of value. The evaluation model also allows for the lifting out of strategic value which points to wider uptake potential. All this creates the possibility for indicator development that can help inform iterative development of boundary crossing VET courses used to stimulate the co-construction of learning networks and ongoing social learning for sustainable development.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A decade of biological control of Parthenium hysterophorus L.(Asteraceae) in South Africa reviewed: introduction of insect agents and their status
- Strathie, L W, Cowie, Blair W, McConnachie, Andrew J, Chidawanyika, Frank, Musedeli, Jufter N, Sambo, SMC, Magoso, EX, Gareeb, M
- Authors: Strathie, L W , Cowie, Blair W , McConnachie, Andrew J , Chidawanyika, Frank , Musedeli, Jufter N , Sambo, SMC , Magoso, EX , Gareeb, M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/416795 , vital:71386 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a11"
- Description: The annual herb, Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae: Heliantheae) is a severe terrestrial invader globally. Infestations reduce crop yield, limit available grazing, hinder conservation efforts, and affect human and animal health in Africa, Asia and Australia, and on associated islands. Due to the impact and threat of further invasion of P. hysterophorus, a biological control (biocontrol) programme was initiated in 2003 in South Africa. This review discusses the research and implementation activities undertaken on the insect agents from 2011 to 2020. During this period, the stem-boring weevil Listronotus setosipennis Hustache (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), leaf-feeding beetle Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and seed-feeding weevil Smicronyx lutulentus Dietz (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), were found to be host specific and approved for release. Releases of mass-reared insect agents have been concentrated particularly in north-eastern South Africa, where P. hysterophorus infestations are most prolific. Post-release monitoring studies indicated localised establishment and impact of L. setosipennis and S. lutulentus. Listronotus setosipennis persisted through severe drought conditions, and although it disperses slowly, larval feeding is structurally damaging. Establishment of S. lutulentus is improving, reducing seed production where it is established. Zygogramma bicolorata resulted in defoliation at a few sites, but establishment has been poor and the beetle has been absent since 2019. Although a combination of fungal and insect agents were demonstrated to reduce P. hysterophorus, additional natural enemies could improve control. Consequently, the stem-galling moth Epiblema strenuana Walker (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and root-crown boring moth Carmenta sp. nr. ithacae (Beutenmüller) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) remain under evaluation. The management of P. hysterophorus in South Africa has been guided by the development of a national strategy, which incorporates multiple management methods, including biocontrol. International collaborations have intensified as a growing number of countries begin to utilize biocontrol to manage P. hysterophorus. Despite the progress towards biocontrol of P. hysterophorus during this period, increased utilisation of approved agents and the introduction of additional agents are necessary to achieve greater control.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Strathie, L W , Cowie, Blair W , McConnachie, Andrew J , Chidawanyika, Frank , Musedeli, Jufter N , Sambo, SMC , Magoso, EX , Gareeb, M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/416795 , vital:71386 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a11"
- Description: The annual herb, Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae: Heliantheae) is a severe terrestrial invader globally. Infestations reduce crop yield, limit available grazing, hinder conservation efforts, and affect human and animal health in Africa, Asia and Australia, and on associated islands. Due to the impact and threat of further invasion of P. hysterophorus, a biological control (biocontrol) programme was initiated in 2003 in South Africa. This review discusses the research and implementation activities undertaken on the insect agents from 2011 to 2020. During this period, the stem-boring weevil Listronotus setosipennis Hustache (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), leaf-feeding beetle Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and seed-feeding weevil Smicronyx lutulentus Dietz (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), were found to be host specific and approved for release. Releases of mass-reared insect agents have been concentrated particularly in north-eastern South Africa, where P. hysterophorus infestations are most prolific. Post-release monitoring studies indicated localised establishment and impact of L. setosipennis and S. lutulentus. Listronotus setosipennis persisted through severe drought conditions, and although it disperses slowly, larval feeding is structurally damaging. Establishment of S. lutulentus is improving, reducing seed production where it is established. Zygogramma bicolorata resulted in defoliation at a few sites, but establishment has been poor and the beetle has been absent since 2019. Although a combination of fungal and insect agents were demonstrated to reduce P. hysterophorus, additional natural enemies could improve control. Consequently, the stem-galling moth Epiblema strenuana Walker (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and root-crown boring moth Carmenta sp. nr. ithacae (Beutenmüller) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) remain under evaluation. The management of P. hysterophorus in South Africa has been guided by the development of a national strategy, which incorporates multiple management methods, including biocontrol. International collaborations have intensified as a growing number of countries begin to utilize biocontrol to manage P. hysterophorus. Despite the progress towards biocontrol of P. hysterophorus during this period, increased utilisation of approved agents and the introduction of additional agents are necessary to achieve greater control.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Improved Stability of Rifampicin in the Presence of Gastric-Resistant Isoniazid Microspheres in Acidic Media
- Mwila, Chiluba, Walker, Roderick B
- Authors: Mwila, Chiluba , Walker, Roderick B
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183210 , vital:43929 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12030234"
- Description: The degradation of rifampicin (RIF) in an acidic medium to form 3-formyl rifamycin SV, a poorly absorbed compound, is accelerated in the presence of isoniazid, contributing to the poor bioavailability of rifampicin. This manuscript presents a novel approach in which isoniazid is formulated into gastric-resistant sustained-release microspheres and RIF into microporous floating sustained-release microspheres to reduce the potential for interaction between RIF and isoniazid (INH) in an acidic environment. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate and Eudragit® L100 polymers were used for the manufacture of isoniazid-loaded gastric-resistant sustained-release microspheres using an o/o solvent emulsification evaporation approach. Microporous floating sustained-release microspheres for the delivery of rifampicin in the stomach were manufactured using emulsification and a diffusion/evaporation process. The design of experiments was used to evaluate the impact of input variables on predefined responses or quality attributes of the microspheres. The percent degradation of rifampicin following 12 h dissolution testing in 0.1 M HCl pH 1.2 in the presence of isoniazid gastric-resistant sustained-release microspheres was only 4.44%. These results indicate that the degradation of rifampicin in the presence of isoniazid in acidic media can be reduced by encapsulation of both active pharmaceutical ingredients to ensure release in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract, potentially improving the bioavailability of rifampicin.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Mwila, Chiluba , Walker, Roderick B
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183210 , vital:43929 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12030234"
- Description: The degradation of rifampicin (RIF) in an acidic medium to form 3-formyl rifamycin SV, a poorly absorbed compound, is accelerated in the presence of isoniazid, contributing to the poor bioavailability of rifampicin. This manuscript presents a novel approach in which isoniazid is formulated into gastric-resistant sustained-release microspheres and RIF into microporous floating sustained-release microspheres to reduce the potential for interaction between RIF and isoniazid (INH) in an acidic environment. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate and Eudragit® L100 polymers were used for the manufacture of isoniazid-loaded gastric-resistant sustained-release microspheres using an o/o solvent emulsification evaporation approach. Microporous floating sustained-release microspheres for the delivery of rifampicin in the stomach were manufactured using emulsification and a diffusion/evaporation process. The design of experiments was used to evaluate the impact of input variables on predefined responses or quality attributes of the microspheres. The percent degradation of rifampicin following 12 h dissolution testing in 0.1 M HCl pH 1.2 in the presence of isoniazid gastric-resistant sustained-release microspheres was only 4.44%. These results indicate that the degradation of rifampicin in the presence of isoniazid in acidic media can be reduced by encapsulation of both active pharmaceutical ingredients to ensure release in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract, potentially improving the bioavailability of rifampicin.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
A snake in the grass: Genetic structuring of the widespread African grass snake (Psammophylax Fitzinger 1843), with the description of a new genus and a new species
- Keates, Chad, Conradie, Werner C, Greenbaum, Eli, Edwards, Shelley
- Authors: Keates, Chad , Conradie, Werner C , Greenbaum, Eli , Edwards, Shelley
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/461473 , vital:76205 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12337"
- Description: Psammophylax (Fitzinger 1843) is a widespread yet poorly studied genus of African grass snakes. A genetic phylogeny of six of the seven species was estimated using multiple phylogenetic and distance‐based methods. To support the genetic analyses, we conducted morphological analyses on the body (traditional morphology) and head (geometric morphometrics) separately. Phylogenetic analyses recovered a similar topology to past studies, but with better resolution and node support. We found substantial genetic structuring within the genus, supported by significantly different head shapes between P. a. acutus and other Psammophylax. Psammophylax a. acutus was recovered as sister to its congeners, and sequence divergence values and morphometrics supported its recognition as a new genus. Increased sampling in East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia) revealed that Psammophylax multisquamis is polyphyletic, necessitating the description of a new, morphologically cryptic species from northern Tanzania. The distribution of P. multisquamis sensu stricto is likely restricted to Kenya and Ethiopia. The study has further resolved multiple aspects of Psammophylax systematics, including the taxonomic validity of two central African subspecies, P. variabilis vanoyei (Laurent 1956) and P. tritaeniatus subniger (Laurent 1956). Inclusion of specimens from the more remote parts of Africa, in future analyses, may result in the recovery of additional diversity within Psammophylax.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Keates, Chad , Conradie, Werner C , Greenbaum, Eli , Edwards, Shelley
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/461473 , vital:76205 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12337"
- Description: Psammophylax (Fitzinger 1843) is a widespread yet poorly studied genus of African grass snakes. A genetic phylogeny of six of the seven species was estimated using multiple phylogenetic and distance‐based methods. To support the genetic analyses, we conducted morphological analyses on the body (traditional morphology) and head (geometric morphometrics) separately. Phylogenetic analyses recovered a similar topology to past studies, but with better resolution and node support. We found substantial genetic structuring within the genus, supported by significantly different head shapes between P. a. acutus and other Psammophylax. Psammophylax a. acutus was recovered as sister to its congeners, and sequence divergence values and morphometrics supported its recognition as a new genus. Increased sampling in East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia) revealed that Psammophylax multisquamis is polyphyletic, necessitating the description of a new, morphologically cryptic species from northern Tanzania. The distribution of P. multisquamis sensu stricto is likely restricted to Kenya and Ethiopia. The study has further resolved multiple aspects of Psammophylax systematics, including the taxonomic validity of two central African subspecies, P. variabilis vanoyei (Laurent 1956) and P. tritaeniatus subniger (Laurent 1956). Inclusion of specimens from the more remote parts of Africa, in future analyses, may result in the recovery of additional diversity within Psammophylax.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Organosilicon compounds as fluorescent chemosensors for fluoride anion recognition
- Gai, Lizhi, Mack, John, Lu, Hua, Nyokong, Tebello, Li, Zhifang, Kobayashi, Nagao, Shen, Zhen
- Authors: Gai, Lizhi , Mack, John , Lu, Hua , Nyokong, Tebello , Li, Zhifang , Kobayashi, Nagao , Shen, Zhen
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/241424 , vital:50938 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2014.10.009"
- Description: Recent developments in organosilicon-based chemosensors for F− recognition are reviewed. The design strategies for improving the photophysical properties of organosilicon-based chemosensors are elaborated, with an emphasis placed on their utility for biological applications. The photophysical properties and electronic structures are analyzed in depth with reference made to the results of molecular modeling calculation and possible future research directions are assessed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Gai, Lizhi , Mack, John , Lu, Hua , Nyokong, Tebello , Li, Zhifang , Kobayashi, Nagao , Shen, Zhen
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/241424 , vital:50938 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2014.10.009"
- Description: Recent developments in organosilicon-based chemosensors for F− recognition are reviewed. The design strategies for improving the photophysical properties of organosilicon-based chemosensors are elaborated, with an emphasis placed on their utility for biological applications. The photophysical properties and electronic structures are analyzed in depth with reference made to the results of molecular modeling calculation and possible future research directions are assessed.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
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