Brenda Van Wyk - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Brenda Van Wyk

Communications in computer and information science, 2024

Over the past decades, reported research have continuously alluded to the impact of "digital nati... more Over the past decades, reported research have continuously alluded to the impact of "digital natives," "millennials," and a range of reported "generations," and warned about the need to adapt across all spheres, including education, educational approaches and student support. Higher education akin to these demands. Contemporary trends in student styles indicate an ever-expanding preference in using digital options. In essence, the use and application of technology and expectations hereof are changing with the emergence of each new generation. This necessitates a deepening in understanding, of inter alia, developments and application of educational technology and instructional design. With the disruptive technological changes of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), a new entry-level student, characterised by an increased digital imprint and a marked preference to using only mobile technology, surfaced and is already coined in literature as "the phygital generation". Phygital is the concept of using technology to bridge the digital world with the physical world with the purpose of providing a unique interactive experience for the user. The term has first been introduced by the marketing and consumer industries. Here, smart and mobile technologies enable interaction and experiences for increasingly daily needs such as online purchases, traveling, learning, communication. The question is: how does this new trend affect teaching and learning? Evidently, students from this generation prefers to learn from microcontent and they are averse to voluminous content. Is there an understanding of the nature of the phygital generation, with its focus on mobile technology? Will this exacerbate the digital divide in marginalised communities? Framed by Critical Pedagogy, this paper interrogates the knowledge that a group of lecturers and their support staff in a Higher Education Institution in South Africa must accommodate a new generation of students. Using an interpretive design, qualitative data were collected from a purposively selected group of educators and support staff. Semi-structured interviews were used in this case to gauge their awareness and readiness to accommodate this new generation in their teaching and learning ecosystem. Findings are that participants are aware of the change but are not prepared for contemporary trends. Informed by critical theory, the paper offers critical indicators to address the gap.

IFLA Journal

Crisis-driven innovation is needed to manage a scarcity in resources. The recent COVID-19 crisis ... more Crisis-driven innovation is needed to manage a scarcity in resources. The recent COVID-19 crisis exacerbated the prevailing digital exclusion in the education sector in particular. Sudden changes in otherwise stable higher education environments necessitated immediate and decisive innovation, particularly where education support services were concerned. This study reports on an academic library and information service’s reflections on emergency strategies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conceptualised through the lenses of existing digital exclusion frameworks and information poverty frameworks. The findings from the qualitative data gathered via focus group interviews emphasise the importance of emergency remote library and information services. The pandemic conditions and sudden remote service delivery model highlighted the prevailing socio-economic and socio-technical inequalities and exclusions among students. The value of the study lies in the reflectio...

Online Information Review

PurposeMany Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) allow students or their advisors to restrict acc... more PurposeMany Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) allow students or their advisors to restrict access to theses/dissertations (TDs) by applying embargoes. This study aims to identify why Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) allow embargoes.Design/methodology/approachOne hundred HEIs were randomly selected, representing seven geographic regions. The authors imported policies/guidelines for embargoing TDs into MAXQDA software and coded the qualitative data.FindingsAmong the 100 studied HEIs, 43 HEIs (43%) have policies/guidelines on the web for embargoing TDs, most of which are from North America. For the majority of HEIs, embargoes are a voluntary option for students/advisors. Content analysis of the 32 embargo policies showed that embargo reasons (18 key reasons) can be categorized into six broad themes (commercialization, publication, ethical issues, funding contracts/agreements, security and safety, and miscellaneous).Research limitations/implicationsIn this study, only those polic...

CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Sep 1, 2022

Open access to dissertations in institutional repositories has been shown to increase the impact ... more Open access to dissertations in institutional repositories has been shown to increase the impact of academic research and scientific findings; yet, institutions of higher education provide mechanisms for students to restrict access to or embargo their work for a certain period of time. Reasons that institutions provide embargo options vary. This study aims to identify and categorize these reasons through a qualitative approach.

Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe - HAL - SHS, Jun 6, 2022

Mousaion: South African Journal of Information Studies

Context: Higher education and its academic support services, including academic library and infor... more Context: Higher education and its academic support services, including academic library and information services (LIS), have continuously been challenged by new technological developments, as well as the quest for transformation toward more inclusive education. The rapid and disruptive technological changes imposed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) heralded a new entry-level student, coined the “phygital generation.” This new generation of library users is characterised by an ever-expanding digital imprint and a preference for using mobile technology to navigate all aspects of their daily lives, including how they approach their tertiary studies. Focus: The study interrogates the readiness of information specialists to understand the nature of the phygital generation within a higher education group in South Africa. The changes in information-seeking behaviour are explored with due cognisance of the existing digital exclusions experienced by many South African students. Metho...

African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies, 2021

COVID-19 has distorted the teaching and learning pedagogy, as well as the research process of hig... more COVID-19 has distorted the teaching and learning pedagogy, as well as the research process of higher education institutions, particularly in Africa. This pandemic-imposed restrictions on movement and demanded a shift to online interaction. This blurred the lines between work and home life and has exacerbated the deep chasms of inequality upon which South African society operates. Established on empirical evidence, substantiated by documentary data, this paper explores how these existing inequalities, exacerbated by COVID-19, manifest in the postgraduate research space of South African higher education institutions. Qualitative data were collected during a recorded focus group interview, and thematically analysed. Through a Neo-Weberian lens, it will illustrate that the pandemic, among other challenges, posed significant ethical challenges to honours students completing their research projects, in turn, shifting policies and requirements of higher education institutions (HEIs) themse...

South African Journal of Library and Information Science, 2019

With global competition, sustainable development, and economic growth in mind, organisations are ... more With global competition, sustainable development, and economic growth in mind, organisations are under constant pressure to change and stay apace. In the knowledge society where 21 st century attributes are key, the ability to use information towards continuous learning and evolution in the workplace is imperative. Among other qualities, sound workplace literacy is a necessary attribute that students as prospective employees must attain. Student learning must be augmented with relevant experiences to develop a range of literacies related to creativity, innovation, communication, collaboration and the effective use of information in a world where technology evolves rapidly. Higher education needs a better understanding of industry requirements related to the literacies and attributes expected from graduates entering the market. Exploring industry related needs, aligning support and library services accordingly and improving interdepartmental collaboration within higher education will better prepare students for the demands in the challenging and fast-changing world of work. The paper reports on a literature review and the findings of a survey on required workplace literacies in a sector of the hospitality and tourism industry. It highlights the importance of more effective collaboration between academics and librarians in supporting the development of workplace literacy. To this aim a purposive selected 2 target population in a leading South African hotel group was approached. Evidence abound that there is a gap between the level of workplace literacy support offered to students and the actual literacy needs reported by the target group. Based on the findings and extrapolating from recent research, a meta-literacy framework is offered in support of developing 21 st century workplace literacies.

Over and above quality teaching and learning, the status and prestige of higher education institu... more Over and above quality teaching and learning, the status and prestige of higher education institutions depend on the quality, web visibility and accessibility of their research and scholarly communication. Universities and higher education institutions are knowledge intensive environments. Research and scholarship created here are institutional knowledge capital and must be managed as assets, allowing the institutions to derive a competitive edge in research and improved institutional stature. As such, knowledge capital must be managed in a way that will ensure return on investment. Scholarship found in dissertations, theses, proceedings and publications form part of this knowledge capital. Digitised institutional repositories are the preferred method for showcasing scholarship on the internet, thereby adding to the institution’s web visibility. Research repositories developed over the past twenty years to become sophisticated networked digital research collections. Traditional rese...

I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Jared Anderson, for his support, guidance, and giving me an... more I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Jared Anderson, for his support, guidance, and giving me an opportunity to work in his research group. His constant enthusiasm toward research, perseverance for learning new things, and indispensable scientific intuition significantly influenced me to learn and grow during my PhD education.