Shalini Dukhan | University of the Witwatersrand (original) (raw)
Papers by Shalini Dukhan
South African journal of higher education, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has had previously unimaginable and far-reaching effects on higher educatio... more The COVID-19 pandemic has had previously unimaginable and far-reaching effects on higher education globally (Baker et al. 2022; Cranfield et al. 2021; Kara 2021; Le Grange 2020). On top of the widespread loss felt by students and teachers across the world, we have had to make rapid changes to previously taken-for-granted ways of doing, being, learning and teaching (Baker et al. 2022; Cranfield et al. 2021). Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL) brought constraints and opportunities, challenges and innovations. This article gives form to the statement: "there is an opportunity in the moment for genuine equity-focused innovation in policy-making, Brodie, Joffe, Dukhan, Godsell, From pandemic disruption to post-pandemic transformation De Klerk and Padayachee 67 provision and pedagogy" (Czerniewicz et al. 2020). We use a theoretical framework of structure, culture and agency through which to view possibilities for transformation of pedagogy, and a form of semi-autoethnography as methodology. Two lecturers, one in the Humanities (Education) and one in the Life Sciences, wrote extended narratives of their experiences of ERTL and the other authors then posed a series of questions to the story authors, which elicited a set of analytic descriptions and explanations. Through iterations of this analysis, we identified two important themes: attending to students' socio-emotional needs and developing students' engagement, selfregulation and reflexivity. The analysis identifies key opportunities and challenges that these required and how they were addressed by the lecturers concerned. Based on the analysis and drawing on Case's (2015b) argument for an expanded sense of agency for students, we argue that the lecture is a key structural and cultural element of the university space that was disrupted during the pandemic and can be transformed going forward. We thus argue for decentering the lecture. Furthermore, we argue that care and concern for students has not been a primary cultural element of teaching and learning in higher education, for structural reasons, and that it should be an integral part of pedagogies going forward.
Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal
Bulbine abyssinica is a succulent medicinal plant indigenous to South Africa. The species has bee... more Bulbine abyssinica is a succulent medicinal plant indigenous to South Africa. The species has been commonly used traditionally by indigenous people for the treatment of various skin related ailments as well as the management of diabetes mellitus. To date, limited studies have been conducted on the underground stems and roots, as well as comparative analyses across the different plant parts of the species. Methanolic extracts of B. abyssinica leaves, underground stems and roots were used to perform phytochemical screening, quantitative phytochemical analyses, antioxidant and antibacterial assays. The leaves contained most of the phytochemical groups tested, as well as higher total phenolic (1841.7 ± 4.8 mg/100g GAE), total flavonoid (809.2 ± 75.6 mg/100g QE), total tannin (2850 ± 70.01 mg/100g GAE) and total proanthocyanidin (636.67 ± 1.67 mg/100g CE) contents compared to the underground stems and roots. The antioxidant activity results showed that the roots exhibited the strongest s...
Educational and Developmental Psychologist
ABSTRACT Introduction Climate change is a pressing topic as scientists continue to reveal its lin... more ABSTRACT Introduction Climate change is a pressing topic as scientists continue to reveal its links to human activities as contributing factors to its exacerbation. These observations lead global governments to seek initiatives that could mitigate these negative impacts. South Africa’s government has attempted to grow knowledge and awareness by incorporating climate change topics into the Grades 10 to 12 high school curriculum. Objective The objective is to establish “What are youths” knowledge and awareness of climate change and their impact on their environment?’ Method Twenty-nine first-year biology students responded to a questionnaire in 2020. Results Although environmental education provided by the curriculum is important to the development of students’ knowledge and awareness of anthropogenic factors contributing to climate change, social and cultural contexts linked to poverty within a developing country determine the extent to which pro-environmental behaviours are asserted. Conclusion As youth are future decision makers, it is vital to understand their perspectives on the human contribution to climate change. This study illustrates that they can be change agents and contribute to pro-environmental behaviours with adequate knowledge and awareness, which can help them make informed decisions in their current contexts and as future leaders.
2021 3rd International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference (IMITEC), 2021
The drop-out rate in South African universities is of concern because it is is costing the govern... more The drop-out rate in South African universities is of concern because it is is costing the government substantial amounts of funding. There are historical reasons why there is a high drop-out rate, these reasons stem from the Apartheid era and how it had an impact on our education system. In this study we aim to shed light on whether the marks that students anticipate achieving are aligned to the marks that they obtain on assessments. Examining this link could shed light on whether first-year students have realistic views of the academic demands at university. This is done by training 6 different models namely Bagging, Random Forest, Decision table, Logistic Regression, Naive Bayes and Multi-Layer Perceptron. All the models are trained using a K-Fold cross validation K=5 to achieve a 80:20 split of training and test data. The best performing model is the Logistic Regression model with 0.692982 accuracy but with the problem in had it is found that the best model to use is the Decision table due to it’s ability to classify students that failed the year with a recall of 0.719 for class ”Fail”.
Proceedings of The Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Sep 25, 2021
2021 3rd International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference (IMITEC), 2021
In this study, we use various machine learning algorithms to understand the link between the grad... more In this study, we use various machine learning algorithms to understand the link between the grades that students achieve and their choice of career path within a first year biological sciences degree. This research will shed light on the students’ academic success in relation to their motivation to pursue a career within the field which they are studying. Student success is classified into two classes, pass or fail, using the student career choices, their interest factor that leads to the career choice, the learning style they use in university, and their results in first year. We used six machine learning models to classify the students under two classes (Fail or Pass). The Support Vector Machine model had an accuracy of 74% which was the best model compared to the other 6 models, it had 10-fold crossvalidation. The Simple Logistics model achieved the second-best accuracy of 73% also with 10-fold cross-validation.
The International Journal of Learning: Annual Review, 2012
Even in post-Apartheid South Africa a legacy of inequality persists, since members of the wealthi... more Even in post-Apartheid South Africa a legacy of inequality persists, since members of the wealthier sector, who generally have parents with a University education, are able to attend well resourced schools, while the majority of the population is forced (through economic ...
Implementing Communities of Practice in Higher Education, 2016
Communities of Practice have been established to address concerns at the levels of staff, student... more Communities of Practice have been established to address concerns at the levels of staff, students and curriculum in the biology department at a South African university. The first-year biology curriculum is shared by two schools: one teaches semester one, and the other semester two. Although staff shared the first-year teaching load they did not communicate about strategies they use to inform student learning and improve academic performance, or discuss the alignment of the curriculum across the schools. Furthermore, South Africa is still dealing with its history of apartheid; this means that some students, because of their backgrounds, have a distinct disadvantage when they aim to excel in their studies. By establishing a ‘Community of Practice’ amongst staff, lines of communication were created between members of two schools teaching the same course. By sharing issues commonly experienced and by a joint effort the Community of Practice developed a series of workshops aimed at levelling the academic playing field for students entering university. The outcomes were (1) the syllabus was restructured so that material was taught in a more hierarchical fashion across the schools; (2) skills that students lacked throughout their first year were identified and workshops were developed, and the content of weekly practicals revised, so that students were given regular opportunities to develop these skills; and, (3) students’ grades improved. This chapter illustrates how, by adopting Lave and Wenger’s notion of ‘Community of Practice’, academic staff take on a pivotal role in bridging the learning divide among first-year students.
South African Journal of Science, 2016
The purpose of this study was to identify whether there are any differences in the quality of the... more The purpose of this study was to identify whether there are any differences in the quality of the notes constructed in English between students for whom English is a first language and those for whom it is a second language. Subsequently we assessed whether this difference, if any, affected their grades. Unsurprisingly, the first-language students produced better structured and more detailed notes; they also performed better academically than their second-language peers. However, when students were provided with training that focused on using writing as a means to promote critical thinking, there was an improvement in the personalisation of their notes. The improvement in grades was significant for second-language students. Thus the university has a pivotal role to play in preparing students for academic success by providing them with supportive measures to aid their transition into first year.
2021 International Conference on Electrical, Computer and Energy Technologies (ICECET)
2020 2nd International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference (IMITEC), 2020
In this paper, we attempt to provide a data-driven solution to the data-congested environment of ... more In this paper, we attempt to provide a data-driven solution to the data-congested environment of attributes related to student success and contribute towards preventing the increased dropout rates at South African higher education institutions. One of the most significant discussions in higher education is student attrition in their first year of study. Student career guidance is an area that requires investigation in light of high attrition rates at university. Recent developments in data analytics, and the analysis of large data sets have enabled the production of powerful predictive models. This paper highlights how a predictive model can assist students, with an interest in Science to develop a skill profile required to be successful in their undergraduate Science programme. This is achieved by identifying the difference between the necessary skills required to be successful in a science programme (derived using data driven approaches) from the current learner's skill profil...
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning
Constructive alignment focuses on alignment between curriculum, learning outcomes, teaching activ... more Constructive alignment focuses on alignment between curriculum, learning outcomes, teaching activities, and assessment. This study argues that for lecturers to set intended learner-centred outcomes, they need insight into students’ prior knowledge of a discipline’s threshold concepts. Little is known about how a syllabus’s assumptions of prior knowledge match up to what first- year students know. Yet this insight is necessary; new knowledge is built on existing knowledge, and learning is about moving to higher cognitive levels. To gain this insight, at the start of the 2018 academic year, 292 first year biology students voluntarily answered two formative, online multiple-choice assessments on DNA and RNA synthesis. The responses showcased their knowledge gaps versus what the syllabus expected. Data analysis of their responses was used to shape teaching activities. This study extends constructive alignment by showing how quality teaching in content-dense disciplines such as biology f...
Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
Conference of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists 2020
South African journal of higher education, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has had previously unimaginable and far-reaching effects on higher educatio... more The COVID-19 pandemic has had previously unimaginable and far-reaching effects on higher education globally (Baker et al. 2022; Cranfield et al. 2021; Kara 2021; Le Grange 2020). On top of the widespread loss felt by students and teachers across the world, we have had to make rapid changes to previously taken-for-granted ways of doing, being, learning and teaching (Baker et al. 2022; Cranfield et al. 2021). Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL) brought constraints and opportunities, challenges and innovations. This article gives form to the statement: "there is an opportunity in the moment for genuine equity-focused innovation in policy-making, Brodie, Joffe, Dukhan, Godsell, From pandemic disruption to post-pandemic transformation De Klerk and Padayachee 67 provision and pedagogy" (Czerniewicz et al. 2020). We use a theoretical framework of structure, culture and agency through which to view possibilities for transformation of pedagogy, and a form of semi-autoethnography as methodology. Two lecturers, one in the Humanities (Education) and one in the Life Sciences, wrote extended narratives of their experiences of ERTL and the other authors then posed a series of questions to the story authors, which elicited a set of analytic descriptions and explanations. Through iterations of this analysis, we identified two important themes: attending to students' socio-emotional needs and developing students' engagement, selfregulation and reflexivity. The analysis identifies key opportunities and challenges that these required and how they were addressed by the lecturers concerned. Based on the analysis and drawing on Case's (2015b) argument for an expanded sense of agency for students, we argue that the lecture is a key structural and cultural element of the university space that was disrupted during the pandemic and can be transformed going forward. We thus argue for decentering the lecture. Furthermore, we argue that care and concern for students has not been a primary cultural element of teaching and learning in higher education, for structural reasons, and that it should be an integral part of pedagogies going forward.
Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal
Bulbine abyssinica is a succulent medicinal plant indigenous to South Africa. The species has bee... more Bulbine abyssinica is a succulent medicinal plant indigenous to South Africa. The species has been commonly used traditionally by indigenous people for the treatment of various skin related ailments as well as the management of diabetes mellitus. To date, limited studies have been conducted on the underground stems and roots, as well as comparative analyses across the different plant parts of the species. Methanolic extracts of B. abyssinica leaves, underground stems and roots were used to perform phytochemical screening, quantitative phytochemical analyses, antioxidant and antibacterial assays. The leaves contained most of the phytochemical groups tested, as well as higher total phenolic (1841.7 ± 4.8 mg/100g GAE), total flavonoid (809.2 ± 75.6 mg/100g QE), total tannin (2850 ± 70.01 mg/100g GAE) and total proanthocyanidin (636.67 ± 1.67 mg/100g CE) contents compared to the underground stems and roots. The antioxidant activity results showed that the roots exhibited the strongest s...
Educational and Developmental Psychologist
ABSTRACT Introduction Climate change is a pressing topic as scientists continue to reveal its lin... more ABSTRACT Introduction Climate change is a pressing topic as scientists continue to reveal its links to human activities as contributing factors to its exacerbation. These observations lead global governments to seek initiatives that could mitigate these negative impacts. South Africa’s government has attempted to grow knowledge and awareness by incorporating climate change topics into the Grades 10 to 12 high school curriculum. Objective The objective is to establish “What are youths” knowledge and awareness of climate change and their impact on their environment?’ Method Twenty-nine first-year biology students responded to a questionnaire in 2020. Results Although environmental education provided by the curriculum is important to the development of students’ knowledge and awareness of anthropogenic factors contributing to climate change, social and cultural contexts linked to poverty within a developing country determine the extent to which pro-environmental behaviours are asserted. Conclusion As youth are future decision makers, it is vital to understand their perspectives on the human contribution to climate change. This study illustrates that they can be change agents and contribute to pro-environmental behaviours with adequate knowledge and awareness, which can help them make informed decisions in their current contexts and as future leaders.
2021 3rd International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference (IMITEC), 2021
The drop-out rate in South African universities is of concern because it is is costing the govern... more The drop-out rate in South African universities is of concern because it is is costing the government substantial amounts of funding. There are historical reasons why there is a high drop-out rate, these reasons stem from the Apartheid era and how it had an impact on our education system. In this study we aim to shed light on whether the marks that students anticipate achieving are aligned to the marks that they obtain on assessments. Examining this link could shed light on whether first-year students have realistic views of the academic demands at university. This is done by training 6 different models namely Bagging, Random Forest, Decision table, Logistic Regression, Naive Bayes and Multi-Layer Perceptron. All the models are trained using a K-Fold cross validation K=5 to achieve a 80:20 split of training and test data. The best performing model is the Logistic Regression model with 0.692982 accuracy but with the problem in had it is found that the best model to use is the Decision table due to it’s ability to classify students that failed the year with a recall of 0.719 for class ”Fail”.
Proceedings of The Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Sep 25, 2021
2021 3rd International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference (IMITEC), 2021
In this study, we use various machine learning algorithms to understand the link between the grad... more In this study, we use various machine learning algorithms to understand the link between the grades that students achieve and their choice of career path within a first year biological sciences degree. This research will shed light on the students’ academic success in relation to their motivation to pursue a career within the field which they are studying. Student success is classified into two classes, pass or fail, using the student career choices, their interest factor that leads to the career choice, the learning style they use in university, and their results in first year. We used six machine learning models to classify the students under two classes (Fail or Pass). The Support Vector Machine model had an accuracy of 74% which was the best model compared to the other 6 models, it had 10-fold crossvalidation. The Simple Logistics model achieved the second-best accuracy of 73% also with 10-fold cross-validation.
The International Journal of Learning: Annual Review, 2012
Even in post-Apartheid South Africa a legacy of inequality persists, since members of the wealthi... more Even in post-Apartheid South Africa a legacy of inequality persists, since members of the wealthier sector, who generally have parents with a University education, are able to attend well resourced schools, while the majority of the population is forced (through economic ...
Implementing Communities of Practice in Higher Education, 2016
Communities of Practice have been established to address concerns at the levels of staff, student... more Communities of Practice have been established to address concerns at the levels of staff, students and curriculum in the biology department at a South African university. The first-year biology curriculum is shared by two schools: one teaches semester one, and the other semester two. Although staff shared the first-year teaching load they did not communicate about strategies they use to inform student learning and improve academic performance, or discuss the alignment of the curriculum across the schools. Furthermore, South Africa is still dealing with its history of apartheid; this means that some students, because of their backgrounds, have a distinct disadvantage when they aim to excel in their studies. By establishing a ‘Community of Practice’ amongst staff, lines of communication were created between members of two schools teaching the same course. By sharing issues commonly experienced and by a joint effort the Community of Practice developed a series of workshops aimed at levelling the academic playing field for students entering university. The outcomes were (1) the syllabus was restructured so that material was taught in a more hierarchical fashion across the schools; (2) skills that students lacked throughout their first year were identified and workshops were developed, and the content of weekly practicals revised, so that students were given regular opportunities to develop these skills; and, (3) students’ grades improved. This chapter illustrates how, by adopting Lave and Wenger’s notion of ‘Community of Practice’, academic staff take on a pivotal role in bridging the learning divide among first-year students.
South African Journal of Science, 2016
The purpose of this study was to identify whether there are any differences in the quality of the... more The purpose of this study was to identify whether there are any differences in the quality of the notes constructed in English between students for whom English is a first language and those for whom it is a second language. Subsequently we assessed whether this difference, if any, affected their grades. Unsurprisingly, the first-language students produced better structured and more detailed notes; they also performed better academically than their second-language peers. However, when students were provided with training that focused on using writing as a means to promote critical thinking, there was an improvement in the personalisation of their notes. The improvement in grades was significant for second-language students. Thus the university has a pivotal role to play in preparing students for academic success by providing them with supportive measures to aid their transition into first year.
2021 International Conference on Electrical, Computer and Energy Technologies (ICECET)
2020 2nd International Multidisciplinary Information Technology and Engineering Conference (IMITEC), 2020
In this paper, we attempt to provide a data-driven solution to the data-congested environment of ... more In this paper, we attempt to provide a data-driven solution to the data-congested environment of attributes related to student success and contribute towards preventing the increased dropout rates at South African higher education institutions. One of the most significant discussions in higher education is student attrition in their first year of study. Student career guidance is an area that requires investigation in light of high attrition rates at university. Recent developments in data analytics, and the analysis of large data sets have enabled the production of powerful predictive models. This paper highlights how a predictive model can assist students, with an interest in Science to develop a skill profile required to be successful in their undergraduate Science programme. This is achieved by identifying the difference between the necessary skills required to be successful in a science programme (derived using data driven approaches) from the current learner's skill profil...
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning
Constructive alignment focuses on alignment between curriculum, learning outcomes, teaching activ... more Constructive alignment focuses on alignment between curriculum, learning outcomes, teaching activities, and assessment. This study argues that for lecturers to set intended learner-centred outcomes, they need insight into students’ prior knowledge of a discipline’s threshold concepts. Little is known about how a syllabus’s assumptions of prior knowledge match up to what first- year students know. Yet this insight is necessary; new knowledge is built on existing knowledge, and learning is about moving to higher cognitive levels. To gain this insight, at the start of the 2018 academic year, 292 first year biology students voluntarily answered two formative, online multiple-choice assessments on DNA and RNA synthesis. The responses showcased their knowledge gaps versus what the syllabus expected. Data analysis of their responses was used to shape teaching activities. This study extends constructive alignment by showing how quality teaching in content-dense disciplines such as biology f...
Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
Conference of the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists 2020