List of Titles

Quick View

A Socio-Historical Approach to Regional Organizational Relations? NGOs in Gender Security in the SADC Region

- Nedziwe, Cecilia L

Authors: Nedziwe, Cecilia L
Date: 2024
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445278 , vital:74370 , https://doi.org/10.22151/politikon.57.1
Description: The extant academic literature in the field of regional International Relations has paid little attention to non-state actors’ organizational relations in building region-ness. Yet, the region offers sets of organizational relations outside, alongside, and as part of the formal regional state structures to do with gender, which offer insights into non-state regional relations and thus help to fill the lacunae in the field and facilitate understanding of the regional dynamic of international relations. This article examines how organizational relations of non-state actors in gender security play out in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It highlights the shortcomings of the inter-governmental approach to international relations pursued by various scholars. Drawing on interviews with representatives of NGOs, governments, the SADC, and annual reports, as well as the academic literature, it argues for a socio-historical approach to understanding regional organization and transnationalism, which considers African agency in building region-ness.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024

Quick View

Characterization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species associating with Zea mays

- Maússe-Sitoe, Silvia, Dames, Joanna F

Authors: Maússe-Sitoe, Silvia , Dames, Joanna F
Date: 2024
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440339 , vital:73775 , https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1345229
Description: Taxonomic identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal spores extracted directly from the field is sometimes difficult because spores are often degraded or parasitized by other organisms. Single-spore inoculation of a suitable host plant allows for establishing monosporic cultures of AM fungi. This study aimed to propagate AM fungal spores isolated from maize soil using single spores for morphological characterization. First, trap cultures were established to trigger the sporulation of AM fungal species. Second, trap cultures were established with individual morphotypes by picking up only one spore under a dissecting microscope and transferring it to a small triangle of sterilized filter paper, which was then carefully inoculated below a root from germinated sorghum seeds in each pot and covered with a sterile substrate. All pots were placed in sunbags and maintained in a plant growth room for 120 days.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024

Quick View

Computer Science Education in Selected Countries from Sub-Saharan Africa

- Bainomugisha, Engineer, Bradshaw, Karen L, Ujakpa, Martin Mabeifam, Nakatumba-Nabende, Joyce, Nderu, Lawrence, Mduma, Neema, Kihoza, Patrick, Irungu, Annette

Authors: Bainomugisha, Engineer , Bradshaw, Karen L , Ujakpa, Martin Mabeifam , Nakatumba-Nabende, Joyce , Nderu, Lawrence , Mduma, Neema , Kihoza, Patrick , Irungu, Annette
Date: 2024
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440223 , vital:73758 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3643037"
Description: Computer Science education in sub-Saharan Africa has evolved over the past decades. The number of institutions offering distinct undergraduate programs has grown, thus increasing the number of students enrolling in the computer science discipline. Several computer science degree programs have emerged with one of the objectives being to satisfy the growing demand for local talent and skills. In this paper, we provide a snapshot of the evolution of undergraduate computer science education in selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past 20+ years and an overview of the developments in computer science education and observed trends. The setup of educational institutions in Africa and the operational context requires unique modalities for the design and delivery of computer science education that meets the demands of the industry, amongst others. This paper provides insights into the best practices in the computer science curricula in the selected countries, as well as an overview of the pedagogical and delivery approaches to computer science education. The paper highlights case studies from institutions in the selected countries, namely Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya with a consolidated summary of the current and emerging challenges and opportunities in all these countries. The paper concludes by providing persectives on the future landscape of computer science in Sub-Saharan Africa.Computer Science Education in Selected Countries from Sub-Saharan AfricaBy Engineer Bainomugisha, Makerere University, Uganda, Karen Bradshaw, Rhodes University, South Africa, Martin Mabeifam Ujakpa, Ghana Communication Technology University, Ghana, Joyce Nakatumba-Nabende, Makerere University, Uganda, Lawrence Nderu, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya, Neema Mduma, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Tanzania, Patrick Kihoza, Mzumbe University, Tanzania and Annette Irungu, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024

Quick View

Data Visualization of Budgeting Assumptions: An Illustrative Case of Trans-disciplinary Applied Knowledge

- Cuthbert, Carol E, Pearse, Noel J, Bradshaw, Karen L

Authors: Cuthbert, Carol E , Pearse, Noel J , Bradshaw, Karen L
Date: 2024
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440236 , vital:73759 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.54808/JSCI.22.01.130"
Description: Trans-disciplinary research combines different fields into new conceptual and methodological frameworks. In this study, the SECI model of knowledge creation, which consists of Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Internalization conversion modes, is used to analyze the implementation of a structured budgeting visualization system by a trans-disciplinary team. Through applied research in implementing a global budgeting system, budgeting assumptions are made explicit through visualization, transforming the approach to the budgeting process and its accuracy. This visualization, in turn, is enabled by assumptions underlying revenue planning, business services and employee compensation, and a visual process. The system displays a stepped approach, indicated by icons, representing the tasks involved in the budget process. For example, the system requires uploading the previous year’s information, setting the assumptions, calculating the suggested figures based on assumptions, and amending the proposed outcome. As adapted by Rice and Rice (2005), SECI is applied as the socialization of tacit-to-tacit budgeting assumption knowledge is solidified during the design phase of this transformation exercise. The externalization phase, in which budgeting assumptions are transformed from tacit to explicit, is evidenced during the configuration phase of the new system. The systemic collaboration results in the explicit assumptions being collectively leveraged across the regions during and after the “go-live” phase of system development. Finally, the internalization phase involves the explicit assumptions being transformed into new tacit knowledge as the experts evolve new assumptions derived from the transformation process. Semiotics provides variance information through hue, with, for example, darker colours indicating higher variances. This trans-disciplinary communication provides the means for increased efficiency and effectiveness. The resulting budget framework is visually validated through a heatmap by comparing the budgeting accuracy and assumption complexity between the different regions where it was implemented. In summary, value is added in developing a new data visualization process, focusing on the role of budgeting assumptions and using planning process visualizations. This approach improves communication efficiency, effectiveness, and understanding of budgeting while enhancing accuracy.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024

Quick View

Holding a mirror up to Academic Development through the HELTASA (un) conferencing methodology

- Williams, Sandra, Adams, Anthea, Geduld-van Wyk, Charlene, Muhuro, Patricia

Authors: Williams, Sandra , Adams, Anthea , Geduld-van Wyk, Charlene , Muhuro, Patricia
Date: 2024
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425705 , vital:72277 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.14426/cristal.v12iSI1.2117"
Description: We, Academic Development (AD) practitioners, question whether AD's objective in South Africa (SA) as a'liberatory educational and social movement'to enhance educational quality for all students, is effectively pursued. AD practitioners often work on the fringes of the academy, fighting for relevance and legitimacy within an increasingly performative and managerialist academic culture. Despite innovative AD initiatives AD work is criticised for being unresponsive, unreflexive, conformist, and lacking theoretical, scholarly, and critical engagement. We use critical pedagogical praxis, particularly the constructs of critique, reflexivity, power, and self-reflection, to interrogate the continuous tension between AD intention and practice. Through (un) conference methodology, this auto-ethnographic account of individual and collective engagements, using the" holding the mirror up" metaphor, critically questioned the tension and misalignments between the AD mandate and practices. Although in a SA higher education context, this research could be beneficial to HE contexts globally, given the ubiquity of AD work.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024

Quick View

Human–crocodile interactions in the western Solomon Islands: the importance of local data for reducing attacks on people

- Shankar, Aswani, Matanzima, Joshua

Authors: Shankar, Aswani , Matanzima, Joshua
Date: 2024
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/439922 , vital:73720 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060532300176X"
Description: Interactions between people and the saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus frequently occur on islands and in coastal regions. Saltwater crocodiles impact people's lives and livelihoods by attacking them, resulting in minor or serious injuries, and by interfering in people's foraging activities. Retaliation may include killing the crocodiles involved. To reduce such human–crocodile interactions, data about the occurrence of incidents are required. We present data on encounters with crocodiles and attacks on people in the Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands. Data includes time of incident, gender, age and activity of the victim, water conditions and what happened to the crocodile after the incident. We used a questionnaire to capture the details of incidents that occurred during 2000–2020 in the villages of Dunde, Baraulu, Nusa Hope and Kozou. Most incidents were in the evening, mostly involving women, and most victims were aged 20–39 years or ≥ 60 years. In all cases people were attacked while gleaning for shellfish in the mangroves. Attacks occurred irrespective of whether the water was clear or murky, and in all cases the crocodiles were not killed. Such site-specific data will facilitate the formulation of strategies for reducing negative interactions between people and crocodiles in this particular location. Although the saltwater crocodile is categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, research such as this provides data that can be used for promoting coexistence with and conservation of this species.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024

Quick View

South African government responses to Trump's Global Gag Rule: Silence, ignorance, and avoidance

- Ndabula, Yanela, Macleod, Catriona I, du Plessis, Ulandi, Moore, Sarah-Ann

Authors: Ndabula, Yanela , Macleod, Catriona I , du Plessis, Ulandi , Moore, Sarah-Ann
Date: 2024
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441299 , vital:73875 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1177/02610183241229046"
Description: In 2017, Donald Trump signed the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA), thereby reinstating the Global Gag Rule. The policy restricted all United States foreign funding from abortion-related activities. Little research reports the responses of recipients of this bilateral assistance. The study documents the South African government's responses to the PLGHA. We accessed Hansard parliamentary debates, interviewed four parliamentarians alongside one government official, and reviewed a USAID-funded initiative developed while the policy was in effect. We analysed the data using interpretive content analysis through a global social policy and gendered coloniality lens. Our research documents silence, ignorance, avoidance, and possible over-interpretation of the PLGHA within the South African government. The colonialist politics of global redistribution created the grounds for gendered regulation, resulting in a fundamental undermining of reproductive rights. Ironically, the solution – advocacy and parliamentarian briefing regarding sexual and reproductive issues – is generally led by civil society, the bodies weakened by the PLGHA.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024

Quick View

Teaching comprehensive sexuality education in a traumatized society: recognizing teachers as sexual, reproductive, and mental health frontline workers

- Macleod, Catriona I, du Plesis, Ulandi

Authors: Macleod, Catriona I , du Plesis, Ulandi
Date: 2024
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441316 , vital:73876 , xlink:href=" https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1276299"
Description: Research on school-based sexuality education in South Africa, taught within Life Orientation (LO), has mainly focused on learners’ responses, how teachers approach the subject, and the curriculum content. Critiques have included heteronormative biases, an emphasis on danger, disease and damage, a reinforcement of gendered binaries, and the lack of pleasure or well-being discourses. In contrast, our research focused on the unexpected moments teachers experience, i.e., the ethical, emotional or psychological challenges they encounter in their interactions with learners.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024

Quick View

Violence against women who sell sex in eastern and southern Africa: a scoping review

- Macleod, Catriona I, Reynolds, John H, Delate, Richard

Authors: Macleod, Catriona I , Reynolds, John H , Delate, Richard
Date: 2024
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441380 , vital:73881 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231160847"
Description: Women who sell sex (WSS) are vulnerable to violence. We present a scoping review of the last decade of research on the prevalence and incidence of, factors associated with, and services regarding violence against WSS in Eastern and Southern African (ESA). A systematic search of various databases resulted in 20 papers being reviewed. Inclusion criteria, applied by the first two authors, were as follows: empirical papers, key research problem is violence against WSS, and conducted in ESA countries. The lifetime prevalence of violence revealed in the studies ranged from 21% to 82%. A pattern of generalized violence against WSS from paying clients, male partners, strangers, family members, friends/acquaintances, and the authorities emerged. Factors associated with violence included the context within which the sex work occurs, alcohol use, type of sex exchange interactions, and personal factors (low education, low income, marriage, youth, high client volume, time in sex work, forced sexual debut, and internalized sex work stigma). WSS seldom access services after violence. Evaluations of two programs, a woman-focused HIV intervention, and the Diagonal Interventions to Fast-Forward Reproductive Health project, showed improvements in gender-based violence services. Findings suggest that targeted programmes should be paired with improving general health services and focus on promoting collective agency among WSS.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2024

Quick View

# SideHustle: Jason GH Londt’s contribution to holdings of the South African Cicadidae (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha) in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum

- Villet, Martin H

Authors: Villet, Martin H
Date: 2023
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440598 , vital:73796 , 10.3897/afrinvertebr.64.100851
Description: Jason GH Londt contributed almost a quarter of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum’s specimens of Cicadidae, including a strong sample of females, and probably the best set to date of African records of predation on cicadas by robber flies. The collection provides evidence that robber flies catch more male cicadas; speculatively, because attacks on the heavier-bodied female fail more often. The metadata derived from these specimens also provide a small gazetteer of Londt’s collecting sites.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2023

Quick View

Activated carbon-decorated polyacrylonitrile fibers and their porphyrin-immobilized composites for removal of methylene blue dye and Ciprofloxacin in water

- Oyim, James, Amuhaya, Edith, Nyokong, Tebello

Authors: Oyim, James , Amuhaya, Edith , Nyokong, Tebello
Date: 2023
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:65077 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10601325.2023.2183868"
Description: Photocatalyst adsorbents are an appealing group of materials for environmental applications. Herein, we study a new simple, inexpensive, yet very effective adsorbent photocatalyst based on porphyrin immobilized activated carbon-decorated polyacrylonitrile, InP(PAN/AC), for removal of methylene blue dye and Ciprofloxacin in water under Xe-lamp and sunlight irradiation (the latter for Ciprofloxacin only). Our results shed light on developing the most effective and sustainable adsorbent photocatalysts that can easily be industrialized due to the ease of preparation through electrospinning coupled with the readily available preparation materials. After five cycles, the InP(PAN/AC) maintained high methylene dye removal efficiency and structural integrity. Significantly, we propose the coordinated contribution of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical in the photodegradation process and highlight the importance of such an integrated system with adsorption and photodegradation capabilities for water treatment.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2023

Quick View

Agent-based model development of a complex socio-ecological system: Methods for overcoming data and domain limitations

- James, C. L, Bradshaw, Karen L

Authors: James, C. L , Bradshaw, Karen L
Date: 2023
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440189 , vital:73755 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2023.102224"
Description: Agent-based models (ABMs) are appropriate tools for modelling socio-ecological systems due to their ability to handle complexity. However, development of such models is often an intensive process. There are many tutorials on the general methods and steps in ABM development but there are not necessarily practical details on how to overcome certain challenges. Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.), a kind of fynbos vegetation found in the Western and Eastern Cape mountains, is an important ecological and agricultural product in South Africa. It is considered a complex system due to its variability and unpredictability. The honeybush tea industry faces the challenge of meeting emerging market demands while maintaining sustainable harvesting practices, in the midst of an uncertain future due to climate change. We created a prototype model, HoneybushModel, using the MARS framework, a C# multi-agent simulation toolkit. The model was validated using historic data. Whilst outlining the development processes used to create the Honeybush Model, this paper provides a methodology for the development of such models and demonstrates techniques for addressing data, domain and framework limitations. The implemented model also acts as a case study for similar systems that could be modelled using an ABM.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2023

Quick View

Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation for Transmission Dynamics and Surveillance of Dengue: Conceptual and Design Model

- Pascoe, Luba, Nyambo, Devotha G, Bradshaw, Karen L, Clemen, Thomas

Authors: Pascoe, Luba , Nyambo, Devotha G , Bradshaw, Karen L , Clemen, Thomas
Date: 2023
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440200 , vital:73756 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1109/AFRICON55910.2023.10293299"
Description: African countries need to strengthen surveillance and control of arboviral diseases such as dengue due to increased outbreaks and spread of arboviruses. Climatic, socio-environment, and ecological variables influence the spread of dengue fever in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper presents an Agent-Based conceptual and design model for dengue fever developed using the Multi-Agent Research and Simulation (MARS) framework. The study analyzes dengue fever's spatial distribution and identifies the causal relationship between the disease and its climatic and environmental variables. Agent-based modeling (ABM) was used to comprehend the spatial patterns of variation to determine the ecological association between the observed spatio-temporal variations in dengue fever. The domain and design model of an ABM for the surveillance of dengue fever is presented based on the Overview, Design Concepts, and Details (ODD) protocol. Model input parameters and input data for the study area are also presented. The dengue ABM can be adopted and reused for modeling other diseases and other complex problems from different domains while ensuring that their unique characteristics and appropriate modifications are considered to ensure the model's validity and relevance to the new context.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2023

Quick View

An Exploration of Flow Control Using Machine Learning and Computational Fluid Dynamics

- Bradshaw, Karen L, Cornfield Matthew

Authors: Bradshaw, Karen L , Cornfield Matthew
Date: 2023
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440211 , vital:73757 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.59200/ICARTI.2023.017"
Description: Although numerous studies relating to computational fluid dynamics and machine learning have been conducted in relation to automotive development, the majority focus on either early development using completed 3D models, or the final testing stages of development, or machine learning accelerated computational fluid dynamic simulations. While this approach is helpful in software development and simulation, it is not easily adaptable to automotive design where the final model is constantly changing and being modified. Consequently, the aim of this study is to propose a method for conducting computational fluid dynamics and machine learning concurrently to accelerate the development process. The proposed method is used to design and improve the aerodynamic efficiency of an object. The approach focuses on developing, implementing, and comparing machine learning models capable of generating optimised three-dimensional objects with the required geometry to direct airflow paths required in applications such as pressure generation, as needed for both active and passive flow control. The study concludes that both decision tree regression and long short-term memory (LSTM) autoencoder models could be used to optimise the aerodynamic efficiency of solid bodies, but that the LSTM autoencoder performs better overall. An undesirable effect of the shape optimisation is an overall reduction in shape size as optimization increases.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2023

Quick View

Asymmetrical zinc phthalocyanine conjugated to various nanomaterials for applications in phototransformation of organic pollutants and photoinactivation of bacteria

- Mgidlana, Sithi, Openda, Yolande Ikala, Nyokong, Tebello

Authors: Mgidlana, Sithi , Openda, Yolande Ikala , Nyokong, Tebello
Date: 2023
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/360344 , vital:65081 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.134850"
Description: Zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) complexes are linked to metallic nanoparticles covalently via amide and ester bonds. The photocatalytic activity of the conjugates of ZnPc complexes with NiWO4, Ag2WO4, CoWO4 and Ag-Fe3O4 nanoparticles are evaluated for photodegradation of methylene blue, tetracycline, and dibenzothiophene. The photocatalytic efficiencies of the prepared phthalocyanine complexes increased in the presence of nanoparticles. This work also reports on the photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy activity of these materials against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. The results indicate that Ag2WO4 based nanoconjugates exhibit high antimicrobial activity with higher log reduction compared to NiWO4, CoWO4 and Ag-Fe3O4 based materials.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2023

Quick View

Best practices in the use and exchange of microorganism biological control genetic resources

- Mason, Peter G, Hill, Martin P, Smith, David, Silvestri, Luciano C, Weyl, Philip S R, Brodeur, Jacques, Vitorino, Marcello Diniz

Authors: Mason, Peter G , Hill, Martin P , Smith, David , Silvestri, Luciano C , Weyl, Philip S R , Brodeur, Jacques , Vitorino, Marcello Diniz
Date: 2023
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/417927 , vital:71495 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-023-10197-3"
Description: The Nagoya Protocol actions the third objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity and provides a framework to effectively implement the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources. This includes microorganisms used as biological control agents. Thus biological control practitioners must comply with access and benefit-sharing regulations that are implemented by countries providing microbial biological control agents. A review of best practices and guidance for the use and exchange of microorganisms used for biological control has been prepared by the IOBC Global Commission on Biological Control and Access and Benefit-Sharing to demonstrate commitment to comply with access and benefit-sharing requirements, and to reassure the international community that biological control is a very successful and environmentally safe pest management strategy that uses biological resources responsibly and sustainably. We propose that best practices include the following elements: collaboration to facilitate information exchange about the availability of microbial biological control agents and where they may be sourced; freely sharing available knowledge in databases about successes and failures; collaborative research with provider countries to develop capacity; and production technology transfer to provide economic opportunities. We recommend the use of model concept agreements for accessing microorganisms for scientific research and non-commercial release into nature where access and benefit-sharing regulations exist and where regulations are not restrictive or do not exist. We also recommend a model agreement for deposition of microbial biological control agents into culture collections.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2023

Quick View

Blended Agile Learning of Computer Architecture under COVID

- Machanick, Philip

Authors: Machanick, Philip
Date: 2023
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/439141 , vital:73550 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Grant-Ooster-wyk/publication/375547243_Beyond_the_Hype_A_Cautionary_Tale_of_ChatGPT_in_the_Programming_Classroom/links/654e3009b1398a779d76a75e/Beyond-the-Hype-A-Cautionary-Tale-of-ChatGPT-in-the-Programming-Classroom.pdf#page=45
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges. 2021 was an interesting year because we had overcome the worst of the teething problems of remote learning but were able to resume some in-person activities. I present experiences from a second-year computer architecture course that I have taught since 2014 to illustrate that some lessons from operating under pandemic conditions can apply to running courses under more normal conditions. 2021 was an interesting year because we reintroduced in-person pracs partway through this course, allowing students to reflect on the difference this made. Reflection on what did and did not work in the course points to possible improvements in pedagogy in more “normal” times. In isolation, the very positive feedback in a course survey may be flattering but there are useful insights to be drawn from what worked. Drawing on ideas from the social construction model of education, where students should be actively involved in learning, and agile software development, results in some insights that may generalize. The kind of feedback that is part of agile development can be layered on top of formative assessment. Empathy with difficulties faced by a class can make a class more involved in the strategy for course delivery. In 2022, without COVID constraints, some of the lessons were applied with positive outcomes.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2023

Quick View

Check for updates Assessing the Impact of DNS Configuration

- Okuthe, J A, Terzoli, Alfredo

Authors: Okuthe, J A , Terzoli, Alfredo
Date: 2023
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430917 , vital:72727 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34896-9
Description: Domain name system (DNS) is an essential enabler for connecting us-ers and services on the Internet. DNS translates human readable do-main names into IP addresses and precedes client connection to a server via a domain name. DNS service is therefore expected to con-sume network bandwidth even though it offers no direct benefit to the user. Having observed the large component of DNS traffic on the com-munity network local loop in our previous study, we migrated the DNS service from a server on the LAN to the gateway router and reconfig-ured the cache time-to-live. Results from the analysis of network traffic captured from the gateway router interface show a 26% decrease in the downlink bandwidth utilization and 46% decline in the uplink bandwidth utilization. The DNS component of the local loop traffic reduces from 45.28% to 4.11%. On the other hand, the Web component of the local loop traffic increases from 49.42% to 95.49%. Data collected from a mirroring port on the LAN switch indicate a decrease in the DNS portion of the internal traffic from 0.38% to 0.18%. Although the DNS reconfigu-ration helps alleviate network bandwidth constraints and reduces DNS component of the traffic, the Web portion increases. The implementa-tion of effective, efficient and sustainable Web traffic management is therefore required.
Full Text:
Date Issued: 2023

Showing items 1 - 20 of 2034