Research Publications (Management Sciences)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/217
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Item Decolonising South African agriculture : bringing dignity back to small-scale farming(Durban University of Technology, 2022) Davis, Jason StrattonDecolonisation should include not only political independence, but also the return of factors of production to the formerly colonised people so that they can use them to participate meaningfully in the economy, facilitating their economic emancipation from former colonial rulers. This not only involves putting the factors of production back into the hands of the colonised but also empowering them to generate wealth. Hence, the re-balancing of the agricultural landscape to actively include small-scale agriculture is part of the decolonisation process. Returning viability and dignity to small-scale farming entails reconnecting people to the land. Therefore, African investments in agriculture need to be focused on small-scale farming so that income inequality and poverty can be alleviated. The paper proposes that the promotion of small-scale agriculture change achieves both the objectives of reversing the impact of colonialism and restoring dignity to Black farming, as well as providing quality employment within local communities. The paper does not suggest that every farm must be small-scale, but that every small-scale farm be given an equal opportunity to produce and contribute to the economy as these farms can provide business opportunities for marginalised groups, namely the youth and women. Hence, the question remains - Where does one acquire the resources and expertise to kick-start the recalibrating of agricultural production on a small-scale? The answer lies in a mixture of finance and business skills from firms through Corporate Social Investment that creates partnerships, both public and private, that sow the seeds of small-scale success.Item GAF : from a conceptual framework to a Model of Learning in Educational Gaming(ACPI, 2019-10-03) Davis, Jason StrattonThere has been much debate in international literature on the effectiveness of educational games in student learning. In the field of Economics, there has been growing evidence that games are an effective teaching pedagogy in increasing motivation and the retention of knowledge. However, very little is written on ‘how’ and ‘why’ students learn from these Economics educational games. The Game Analysis Framework (GAF) was designed as a conceptual lens that would provide a method for mapping out ‘how’ and ‘why’ students learn from playing educational games. GAF was initially developed from three models of game design based on an experiential and constructivist theory of learning. However, from the results of the study, this model had to be revised as other factors such as motivation, engagement and emotions became the core drivers of learning. The study’s results such as emotions necessitated a revision of the GAF model to include these new findings, highlighting the importance of non-cognitive factors in learning and how games harness these factors to create a deliberative learning environment. It also causes one to perhaps move beyond the constructivist and experiential learning paradigms of learning by doing to learning by enacting knowledge – an enactivist approach.Item Game framework analysis and cognitive learning theory providing a theoretical foundation for efficacy in learning in educational gaming(Society for Research and Knowledge Management, 2020-07-30) Davis, Jason StrattonSeveral meta-analyses and studies have been undertaken in game-based research, which compare the efficacy of conventional teaching against the introduction of educational games into the classroom. The findings point to educational gaming providing teaching approach that allows for improved efficacy in learning and deeper conceptual understanding. But there is a paucity of research in terms of explaining ‘how’ and ‘why’ students learn from games. The mapping out the students’ experiences of learning, as a result of an economics gaming intervention, was achieved using research methodology called Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA). The findings of the IQA process were then further refined and developed into Game Framework Analysis (GAF) model which points to games providing a learning system that allows for deeper conceptualization of concepts and more meaningful application of knowledge. The question that arose was ‘How could this be possible?’ Part of the answer is provided by Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) which was developed by Sweller (1988). CLT examines the management of working memory in learning contexts and the resultant effects on learning. Games were found to have in their DNA, the ability to create complex learning environments that can manage the cognitive load in a way that facilitates an optimal usage of working memory, resulting in effective learning.