TUT DIGITAL OPEN REPOSITORY

This paper recovers gap solitons from Bragg gratings of the concatenation model. The new mapping method recovers a full spectrum of optical solitons. The parameter constraints for the existence of such solitons are enumerated.

Social media is an effective engine for communication in operating business functions for all organisations. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of awareness and information sharing that online communication affords the Department of Basic Education. It aimed to determine the use of social media platforms by the Department of Basic Education employees, the public and educators to communicate issues pertaining to education. The Department of Education makes use of Basic Education via different social media platforms, a few to mention are Facebook, Twitter, Thutong and email for communication purposes. These are available on the education website www.education.gov.za The researcher used a quantitative approach to collect empirical data from the Department of Basic Education in South Africa through a survey questionnaire that was forwarded to the Department of Education employees. Data analysis was done with the use of the Statistical Package for Statistic Systems program. The results are revealed with use of pie charts and bar graphs. The descriptive and relationship analyses are shown in this study and the recommendations and conclusions are tabled. Findings in this study show that some social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube exist in the Department of Basic Education, however, the officials are blocked from using these social media platforms. The officials cite that permission is granted to senior officials, starting from level 13; this refers to the Director, Chief Director, the Deputy Director-General, Director-General, the Deputy Minister and Minister. These are the officials that use social media platforms to communicate with the public. The Department of Basic Education officials consist of specialists that are meant to communicate with learners irrespective of their background or wherever the learners reside, especially with today’s presence of innovative technology as a rapid means of communication. Learners are supposed to consult with specialists through various communication channels.

The purpose of the study was to characterize irrigated smallholder agricultural enterprises (ISAEs) in selected areas of Vhembe District, Limpopo Province. The characterization focused on the geophysical environment and on participants in ISAEs. Precipitation was at most 460mmpa for villages along Madimbo Corridor and 701-1380mmpa for those along Mutale Valley, and temperatures were 38.1℃-44.0℃ (Madimbo) and 30.0℃-40.0℃ (Mutale). Groundwater supplemented surface water and was utilized more at Madimbo Corridor compared to Mutale Valley. The study area was characterized as semi-arid to sub-humid, hence technologies for efficient irrigation should be promoted. Participants in ISAEs were female (94.9%), and adult (52.72%) with low education levels (67.7% ≤ secondary education). The majority (88.65%) were not formally employed (54.61% self-employed, 34.04% full-time farmers). Participants experienced some level of poverty, 68.03 per cent received low household incomes (R1001-R5000/month), 77 per cent received social grants. Interestingly, the majority (65.31%) stayed in multiple-roomed houses, had cement brick walls, and corrugated iron roofs (54.42%), and all had electricity, a stove, and a fridge. Also, majority-owned radio (96.67%), DSTV (87.45%), vehicles (65.56%), and cellphones. Participants mostly provided adequate food supply (91.84%) with three meals/day (79.38%) except during hard times where 49.56 per cent provided fewer meals mostly due to delayed readiness of farm produce. Strategies to empower ISAE participants to be more effective should consider their gender, age, education, and economic status estimated by income, asset ownership, and food security.

Affective learning has been neglected in university curricula. Majority of students were perceptive to others’ behaviour and reactions during classroom interaction. Students reported being observant of others' reactions while speaking. Students felt confident and sure of what to say and do. Quantitative survey design and the Attribution theory.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of LMS digital tools used by academics to foster student engagement at the University of Technology in South Africa. International studies have examined how academics encourage student engagement in online learning environments. They also investigated what teachers do and why they do it. The study that explored this problem on the LMS was not discovered by the researcher in a South African context. The intent of this study is to fill the gap in the literature. Participants were 116 academics from the faculties of A (76%) and B (24%). The question posed was: Which of the LMS tools were used effectively by the academics to foster students’ engagement? To answer this question, embedded design was used in a mixed-method approach. Data were gathered using a survey questionnaire with both open-ended and closed-ended questions and interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed with the SPSS version 29 frequency distribution and percentage. Qualitative data were analyzed using Atlas.ti version 22. The results showed that 90.5% of the academics concurred that the learning activities on the LMS foster students to interact and engage. Instructional designers should support academics in the selections and the use of appropriate engagement tools on the LMS. The findings revealed that academics used LMS and third-party tools relating to the discussion forums, groups, Collaborate Ultra, Microsoft Teams chats, and WhatsApp to encourage interactivity in an online environment, as well as the development of authentic assessments in the LMS in this era of artificial intelligence.

This research article argued that the current conflicts between Vhavenda and Vatsonga, two decades and four years later after the first democratic elections for a new South Africa in 1994, are manifestations of the seeds that were sown by the Voortrekkers since their arrival around the Soutpansberg in the northern parts of South Africa in 1836. Makhado (Louis Trichardt), Vuwani and Malamulele have been embroiled in continuous arguments and counterarguments, advocacies and counter advocacies, including protests, and in some instances, destruction of the essential property. Before then, Vhavenda and Vatsonga used to live alongside each other and even together. In their traditional village settings, there was no discrimination based on language or ethnicity. Through review of early scholarly writings, oral resources garnered from elders and the author’s personal experience, a few episodes were highlighted, and the ramifications thereof were discussed. Contribution: This study also postulated that although the promotion of the tribes’ uniqueness was culturally significant, social cohesion and multiculturalism could have been sustained without institutionalising the segregation laws and demarcations, for these decisions have come back to haunt the present democratic South Africa’s ideals of nation and social cohesion.