Abstract
With the massification of higher education (HE) globally, widening access to education has changed the face of the student population. Post-apartheid South Africa in particular has seen a rapid increase in so-called Non-Traditional Students (NTSs). These students are often first-generation HE matriculants, mature, juggling work, family and academic responsibilities, and viewed as academically underprepared. Most suggestions for dealing with NTSs are based on a deficiency model—offering remedial and additional support to struggling students. The authors suggest a move away from this deficit approach to one that focuses on designing and offering innovative teaching and learning practices that are meaningful and accessible to all students, including NTSs. This study examined how digital storytelling would mediate some of the challenges NTSs in a first-year Industrial Design course face. How did the digital storytelling practice help the students deal with some of the challenges they face? In particular, the elements of collaboration and flexibility stood out in terms of mediating the challenges the students reported. Instead of negatively labelling NTSs as problematic, the authors call for disrupting current teaching and learning, concluding that learning activities should be designed to engage all students, offer inclusivity, flexibility and choice.
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Notes
- 1.
We are following the South African Department of Education racial categories, namely black, coloured, white and Indian (Scott et al. 2007). The term coloured refers to a distinct racial category in South Africa, of mixed European, African and Asian descent.
- 2.
In the South African school system the term ‘former Model C schools’ refers to schools, which during Apartheid were frequented by privileged white learners. Today these schools are still better resourced and of higher quality than the rest of the government schools. Due to their geographic location and slightly higher school fees, these schools are often only accessible to more affluent learners.
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Veronica Barnes studied Industrial Design at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), where she also obtained her MTech: Design. An Industrial Design lecturer for 13 years at CPUT, Veronica obtained a National Higher Diploma: Higher Education & Training in 2011. As an educator, she explores innovative pedagogies and technologies. Research areas include critical thinking skills, industrial design education, authentic learning, non-traditional students, digital storytelling , and Universal Design for Learning . She has presented papers at conferences including HELTASA (Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa) and DEFSA (Design Educators’ Forum of South Africa). She first published in SAJHE in 2011. Her paper on non-traditional student learning was recently presented at the 5th International Digital Storytelling Conference, Turkey, 2013. Email: Barnesv@cput.ac.za.
Daniela Gachago is a lecturer in the Educational Technology Unit at the Center for Higher Education Development at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Her research interests lie in the use of emerging technologies to improve teaching and learning in higher education, with a particular focus on social media and digital storytelling for social change. She completed a Masters in Adult Education at the University of Botswana and is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. programme at the School of Education at the University of Cape Town. Email: Gachagod@cput.ac.za.
Eunice Ivala is the coordinator of the Educational Technology Unit, Fundani Centre for Higher Education and Development, at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), South Africa. Previously a project manager at the Media in Education Trust Africa, an educational specialist at the South African Institute for Distance Education and a lecture at the University of KwaZulu Natal. She holds a B.Ed Honours degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya; a MEd degree in Computer-Based Education from the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa; and a Ph.D in Culture, Communication and Media Studies from the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Her research focus is in ICT–mediated teaching and learning in developing contexts. Email: Ivalae@cput.ac.za.
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Appendices
Appendix 4.1: Digital Storytelling Project Brief
Where more than 1 crew is indicated, all crews research the subject. Then come together and decide who will cover what area. No duplication please. The movies will be shown in the order that is appropriate.
Appendix 4.2: Digital Storytelling Marking Rubric
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Barnes, V., Gachago, D., Ivala, E. (2015). Digital Storytelling in Industrial Design. In: Layne, P., Lake, P. (eds) Global Innovation of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Professional Learning and Development in Schools and Higher Education, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10482-9_4
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