Browsing by Author "Quilling, Rosemary Diane."

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Assessing interpersonal privacy through the usage of Facebook features by university students.
(2019) Shaik, Fatima Bibi.; Quilling, Rosemary Diane.
With online social networks swiftly growing in popularity millions of users are sharing their personal information daily without being aware of where such disseminated information eventually resides. Combined with such growth is the diversity of both users and content shared, that results in an extensive amount of personal data availed in social networks. This poses a challenge to individuals in terms of knowing what content is available: when and where, as well as the subsequent flow of that information. One such social network which has impacted modern day communication and altered the nature of digital information sharing is Facebook: Used by over one billion people world-wide, Facebook users interact with friends, family and other social contacts in a public medium. This has changed the nature of privacy and consequences of information disclosures. Despite media reports highlighting the unintended consequences of information disclosures via social network sites such as Facebook, students are often thought to be unconcerned regarding the subsequent costs of these disclosures. The current study sought to explore university student’s informational disclosures influence on their interpersonal privacy through the usage of the Friendship Pages and Timeline Facebook features. Participants of this study were 333 university students who were current users of Facebook. A significant 41.7% of the respondents revealed they used both the Friendship Page and Timeline feature of Facebook. Findings further revealed that students used Facebook for several functions. These functions include; to search for friends by disclosing their personal information such as pictures, searching for events or groups, uploading and sharing their own images, which can be accessed by friends of friends, therefore causing potential privacy concerns. Results also revealed that students had a polarized attitude towards sharing their details. Furthermore, analysis revealed that students had comprehensive profiles and they shared information that represented the reality about themselves, therefore, making it easier for strangers to understand who they are. Investigations also indicated that privacy is not a primary concern for university students based on the kind of activities and interactions gained in its usage. Results from the research indicate that a significant number of students use Facebook Friendship page to find new friends with potentially risky disclosure of personal information through the use of profile pictures that are visible to everyone. Results for the Timeline feature revealed students who adjusted their timeline settings were selective of whom has access to their uploaded content based on the different type of Facebook friends they have. In addition, the study revealed that there was a strong and positive relationship between the Friendship Page and the Timeline to the extent that individuals that are accepted as friends also gain access to the content shared on each other's timeline. There was also minimal trust found between friends on the usage of Facebook content since a significant number of respondents revealed that they could not trust their friends not to share their content with other people. Despite the negative relationship, students continued to share their private information, therefore, revealing a relaxed attitude. Additionally, many respondents felt uneasy with increased viewership and sharing of their content by people not within their friendship network which illustrates a polarized attitude.
Barriers and enablers experienced by women in senior information technology positions in South Africa.
(2022) Shange, Pretty Ngenzeni.; Quilling, Rosemary Diane.
The under-representation of women in senior and leadership positions in the IT industry has long been an issue of concern for both organisations and governments. This has led to this topic gaining global attention, which has led to studies undertaken to understand the causes of this under-representation. In South Africa we have seen efforts such as employment equality acts by government and diversity programmes by organisations that aim to address this under-representation. This study aims to understand the barriers that women encounter in their career journeys and the enablers that helped them overcome the barriers as they persisted and advanced in IT. This study followed a qualitative research approach using open-ended online interviews for data production using a sample of fifteen female senior IT managers. This sample consisted of Chief Information Officers (CIOs), Heads of Department, and different IT managers in their areas of specialities within IT. The results of this study showed that factors such as computer access at a young age played an important role in creating a positive attitude towards IT or computer related careers. Factors such as availability of bursaries for IT qualifications and knowledge of family members about the IT careers were most likely to increase the chances of a young woman to choose an IT career. The results also showed that young women who liked Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects such as mathematics were also more likely to study IT or computer related qualifications. The IT industry career stream and the support employees received from family and organisations also played a big role in determining the persistence of women in their IT career. Furthermore, mentorship and sharing of opportunities within professional networks also contributed positively to the advancement of women in this industry. The flexibility and ability to work from home were among the highlighted benefits that encouraged women to persist. Results also showed that more women were concentrated in middle management and that the career path to the Csuite level is not clear. The understanding of barriers and enablers presented in this study will guide and inform the choices women and the societies make about this industry and better position government and organisations with understanding needed in creating an IT industry that nurtures women to success.
Digital storytelling and teenage emotional intelligence : a South African case study.
(2012) Pieterse, Gaye.; Quilling, Rosemary Diane.
Little guidance is given to teachers in South Africa with regard to integrating technology into the classroom. Yet they are required to teach 21st century skills such as ICT literacy and collaborative problem-solving, as well as soft skills such as empathy, story, design, symphony, play and meaning. Competency in these skills requires high emotional intelligence that has strong links to success in the conceptual age. Digital storytelling has proven to be a successful pedagogic resource with high potential for deep learning, development of 21st century skills and emotional empowerment. As females tend to drop out of school earlier than their male counterparts, the task of this study was therefore to determine whether the making of digital stories fostered trait emotional intelligence amongst female teenagers. The study was viewed through the lens of the Technological knowledge, Pedagogical knowledge and Content Knowledge (TPCK) model and showed some shortfalls with regard to using it to assess teacher training in the integration of ICT in education. Different interventions of digital storytelling were used on four Grade 9 and four Grade 10 classes (172 pupils) in an all girls’ school with a mixed method being used. The quantitative data was obtained from a repeated self-report test for trait EI (SSEIT) and the qualitative data from a semi-structured questionnaire given to each student. The study took place at a private school in Durban, South Africa and lasted for 9 months (3 terms) from Jan 2011-Aug 2011. The qualitative data showed that digital storytelling was a unanimously positive experience in two groups only – those who made them and those who watched well-made YouTube movies picked by the educator. The other group who watched the YouTube videos as well as their peers’ movies expressed less positive experiences viz. irritation in watching poorly made movies, while the group who had no intervention had no positive comments and expressed anger and annoyance at being excluded. The quantitative data showed no significant statistical changes. This may be due to problems within the testing of SSEIT or that the qualitative data measured aspects of EI which are unrelated to trait EI. This case study point the way to a more targeted research with regard to using digital storytelling as a means to not only integrate technology into education but also to teach 21st century skills with a strong base in emotional intelligence. It is recommended that the TPCK model be enlarged to encompass collaborative problem solving, that consideration be given to the use of mixed methods research in education and that digital story telling is incorporated into teacher training.
Factors influencing software developers’ use of pair programming in an agile software development methodology environment.
(2018) Dhoodhanath, Prashika.; Quilling, Rosemary Diane.
IT has been growing rapidly through the years and the IT solutions which are required are no simpler. Industries want IT solutions to be flexible enough to accommodate spikes in demand and to produce outcomes as soon as possible. Therefore, the adoption of agile methodologies has been increasing. Extreme programming (XP) has been the most common agile methodology adopted since 2004. Industries have struggled to make the transition from a traditional approach to agile; as there are many opposing principles: traditional methodologies drive individual programming, whereas agile drives team collaboration when developing software. However, the benefits realised from XP grew as companies noticed that teams built strong relationships, software was delivered faster and errors in code were minimal. Pair programming (an XP practice) is the least used XP programming practice. This is in spite of studies conducted in North California in the years 2010 - 2017, which noted that pair programming, when used, provides numerous benefits to both staff and company. Some of the benefits included improving productivity, reducing time spent on delivery; increasing the sharing of knowledge and strengthening teams’ morale. This challenges the gap between the adoption of pair programming (which is low) and agile (which is popular). Therefore this study was undertaken to understand the phenomena that influence the adoption of pair programming in agile software development companies. The results of this case study show that software developers have a positive attitude towards using pair programming. Their senior staff and peers encourage the use of pair programming as the company provides enough hardware and tools to accommodate the needs of pair programming. However, it was indicated by both senior and junior staff that there is reluctance by juniors to voice their opinions. The personality mix sometimes impacts the use of pair programming; for instance, introverts may not want to communicate and an extrovert may be too overpowering in a pair programming environment. However, pair programming is confirmed as a mentoring tool; to help skills development and the sharing of knowledge. In addition, pair programming is noted as more beneficial for complex tasks. Due to the constant engagement required during pair programming, the developers noted it is sometimes draining and therefore suggest regular breaks and switching of roles to maintain the synergy. Overall, pair programming is recommended for future and current use as it produces higher quality code, improves productivity, assists in sharing of knowledge and boosts the confidence and skills of those less experienced.
Higher Education teachers' use of social computing in their teaching: the case of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2021) Quilling, Rosemary Diane.; Hugo, Wayne.
Educational technology literature explores the reasons Higher Education (HE) teachers provide for why they use (or do not use) social computing (Web2.0) applications in their teaching. Reasons are often provided as lists of factors impacting use, rather than systemic, context-based explanations of how patterns of use or non-use have developed over time, are instantiated, and shift in specific instances. This case study, based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa; focuses on 18 HE teachers. The context is challenging, complex and in a state of systemic flux; providing sufficient reasons for teachers to choose not to innovate in teaching. When the study data was produced, the institution had experienced an institutional merger (eight years prior), reorganisation into a college structure (within a year) and was plagued by annual student protests related to student access. A critical realist approach was used as the underlabourer for the study. Teacher use of social computing is represented by an innovation reinforcement cycle of Commitment, Effort and Results. Mechanisms operating at each point in the cycle provide micro-points of interaction or system delays. HE teacher agency is articulated through the use of individual tactics and processes based on social capital. Processes, represented by system causal loops, illustrate the dynamics within the social teaching (and learning) arena and interactions with the institutional structures and processes. The ‘Circuits of HE Teaching Power’ framework represents the flow of power through institutional standing conditions, processes of systemic and social integration, and influences the arenas of negotiation in which actor agency operates. The circuit is completed when actor agency influences standing conditions. Underlying institutional and academic social norms are reinforced through obligatory passage points (OPPs) which seek to govern and control behaviour. Outside the institutional boundary, external forces may influence, and be influenced by, processes of both social and system integration. This theoretical framing is focused on being able to integrate an explanation of processes at both the individual and systemic levels, indicating its relevance at the operational-, tactical/management- and strategic/policy-level. This explanatory framing can also be used as a methodological device: from the individual teacher micro-scale to the institutional macro-scale, as well as at a variety of levels of abstraction, ranging from the transitive empirical and actual layers to the potentially more intransitive layer of the Real.
The impact of implementing critical success factors during information technology outsourcing: eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality case study.
(2021) Goba, Innocentia Nokulunga.; Quilling, Rosemary Diane.
IT outsourcing is a decades-old practice that has been used by businesses. Organisations engage in this activity because they lack the necessary capabilities in-house to complete the assignment, and it is sometimes more cost-effective to outsource the work to another company. Using Duhamel's Outsourcing Technology Enactment model, the goal of this qualitative exploratory case study was to determine the influence of crucial success variables during IT outsourcing (Duhamel, Gutierrez-Martinez, et al., 2014). Snowball sampling was utilised to find study participants within the participating company who could offer information about the IT outsourcing initiatives. Members of the eThekwini Municipality's IT outsourcing project team served as the sample criteria. Project deputy heads, senior managers, specialists, analysts, developers, and project managers were among the participants in the study. The reason for the limitation is that the researcher was looking for participants that play a huge role and that are able to make managerial decision during IT outsourcing. NVivo Pro 12 research software was used to analyse the interviews. The tool was chosen because it has been widely used by researchers and scholars to analyse data (Syarifuddin et al., 2017). The result of this case study shows that the study participants from eThekwini Municipality understand the concept of outsourcing and the Municipality uses different types of outsourcing depending on the project to be implemented. The study participants, to a large extent, considered trust, shared knowledge and communication during a project. These factors are all important because they play a different role, they are intertwined. However, it is indicated by two senior participants that trust do not exist in business and the relationship is governed by a contract and a service level agreement. Institutional arrangements at the Municipality delays projects and should be reviewed to match up with the ever-changing IT environment. The outcomes of a project are measured using time, scope and budget. The findings from this study may be used by IT leaders and project teams for future and current projects when deciding to implement IT outsourcing projects.
The influence of big data on monitoring the factual quality of digital media in Southern Africa.
(2022) Dlomo, Andile Samkeliso.; Quilling, Rosemary Diane.
This research study will explore how big data can drive innovation in response to dynamic change and aid society in establishing an advantage when fact-checking/monitoring new media and dealing with false information. The study emphasises that big data might answer questions and offer insights society never had access to before. In the current news media environment, the services that enable the sharing and production of large amounts of data are not sufficient to combat increasing fake news, ongoing public mistrust, and false, partisan media content for capital gains from gaining more influence in society. There is an urgent need for intervention, which big data innovation can provide. There are, however, some myths regarding the use of big data that need to be dispelled, such as the idea that an analysis of the data will ensure transparency and reliable content distribution from the developers of big data systems to the audience consuming the data. Innovating and obtaining an advantage from data is more complex than just collecting lots of data; a look at the impact big data will have on a society is vital in leveraging big data. The study explores this notion by looking at the Digital Data Genesis Capability Model. The model guides the structure and how the case study will be conducted in the media fact-checking sector. The development of the big data initiative is built on fundamental expertise. According to the findings, highly skilled employees with knowledge of both proprietary and open-source tools are essential in the development of big data systems. Furthermore, there is a high level of compatibility with the existing web environment standard and the tools being used when deploying a big data system in the web. As a result, development of a big data initiative by a technology focused organisation is only limited by their ability to implement an effective big data workflow. However, this requires detailed planning, cloud computing for hardware; software; outsourced third party services; the work on data structure built in-house; and the use of docker containers that enable mobility in the development process and the adoption of new technology when implementing the searching and querying of large datasets and streams. There was a deviation from the existing model noted. The context of the study exposed that it is possible to implement big data initiatives among more than one company as a partnership, if the companies share some business traits or the same philosophy: thus, changing the dynamic of routines and responsibility in the existing landscape.
Using educational data mining to predict sub-Saharan African science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students’ academic performance: a systematic review.
(2023) Mhlongo, Langelihle Lucky.; Govender, Irene.; Quilling, Rosemary Diane.
Abstract available in PDF.