UKZN Libraries: Bridging the Digital Divide

                         

                                  Mfezi Mjwara                     Goitsemang Ncongwane                Sushiela Naidoo

COVID-19 brought more of our lives online and increased the way we connect through technology. For many at UKZN, this offered new benefits such as the ability to work or study from home and more flexibly in learning and working. with the mode of study/work moving to the online platform. However, for many this reality reinforced the digital divide.

The digital divide is essentially defined as “the gap between those with internet access and those without.” With the pandemic creating more of a reliance on our devices and the ability to perform daily functions using technology, those who do not have access are left struggling. The digital divide typically impacts rural communities and low-income households the most. This is no big surprise, considering income is the largest determinant of whether or not a person has internet access alongside the lack of technological infrastructure in rural areas.

The way the pandemic has impacted our world provided an opportunity for the UKZN Library Services to make a real impact in supporting the University community in more innovative ways, when they needed it the most.

This challenge formed a springboard for UKZN Library Services and librarians to create more technology equity [Rev1] and bridge the digital divide in accessing online resources. This meant that every student would have equal access to digital technologies and internet access. UKZN assisted by providing laptops and data to all students.

Librarians at UKZN responded with a number of interventions like the provision of online information service delivery and online training. These included the easy and efficient access to online journals, e-books, course reserve material and theses which were facilitated through online Library training. With these interventions, the library encouraged and continues to encourage, students from undergraduate to postgraduate levels of study to attend in order for them to achieve success in their academic journey. The online services enable local students to reach resources and attend training from their homes and further afield, students from other countries like Namibia, Tanzania, Nigeria etc.  Students from all backgrounds are provided with the fundamental skills so that there is a smooth and efficient transition to online learning at UKZN.

The library webpage can be accessed at https://library.ukzn.ac.za/# . All training materials and recordings can be accessed from UKZN Online Training 2023. The Libguides https://libguides.ukzn.ac.za/c.php?g=1043478&p=9216095 provide fundamental information to assist with academic learning. The table below provides a list of some of the training that was/is conducted via Zoom, presented by librarians, academics and vendors, at regular intervals throughout the year. These training sessions are also offered in a classroom setting that is face to face.[Rev2] 

v    iCatalogue	v    eBooks collection	v    EBSCOhost
v    Google scholar	v    My Library Account	v    Referencing
v    Inter Library Loans	v    JSTOR	v    Literature Review
v    Literature reviews	v    NVivo	v    ProQuest
v    Search Strategies	v    Scoping reviews	v    Science Direct
v    Sabinet online	v    SPSS	v    Open Access v    Publishing platforms
vUKZN Software tutorials	v    Web of Science	v    CAES: Engineering village

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How do these programmes benefit students at UKZN?

v  Helps low performing students catch up with their better performing classmates.

v  Enhances the students’ critical thinking.

v  Improves the ability of students to understand and evaluate computerised materials.

v  Makes it easy for students to adapt to university expectations.

v  Supports educationally disadvantaged students who are under-prepared despite meeting minimum admission criteria.

v  Helps students become independent learners in their own spaces and time.

Conclusion

Educational background has a great influence on the performance of students when they enter university especially during their first-year level of their studies. Many of the high/secondary schools in South Africa lack exposure to scholarly information and online scholarly information resources, good training and standard libraries to prepare learners for the university experience. This makes it very difficult for students to cope with the demands of university level studies. UKZN Library Services play a pivotal role in making sure that university entrants settle in and meet academic expectations. In other words, the performance of these students is bound to be improved if they attend library training and academic literacy programmes offered by the institution. 

 

 

 

References

 Chalita, S & Erik, B. (2011, September 18-21) Understanding the digital divide: A literature survey

and ways forward [Conference Paper]. 22nd European Regional Conference of the International Telecommunications Society (ITS): "Innovative ICT Applications - Emerging Regulatory, Economic and Policy Issues. Budapest, Hungary https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/52191/1/672623358.pdf[Rev1] 

 

Conley, D. T. (2007). The Challenge of College Readiness. Educational leadership, 64(7), 23 -29. http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el200704_conley.pdf

 

Hilbert, M. (2015) Digital divide(s). ResearchGate, 1-7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319588474_Digital_Divides

 

Van Dijk, J. A. (2012). The Digital Divide turns to Inequality of Skills and Usage. The Evolution of the Digital Divide, 57 – 75. https://www.utwente.nl/en/bms/vandijk/news/The%20Evolution%20of%20the%20Digital%20Divide/Evolution%20of%20the%20Digital%20Divide%20Digital%20Enlightment%20Yearbook%202012.pdf

 

 

 

Exams are over what are you going to do?

 

                                                         By Jabulile Sibisi - Mshengu

Now it’s time for you to relax and have fun but not sure where to start. Why don’t you relax with a book?

Looking for pleasurable reading, nothing lengthy? UKZN libraries have lots of reading material for your leisure reading, something to pass the time on your study break, that is leisure reading, as opposed to reading for assignments or exams.

 

According to Cawley (2023) leisure reading, also known as recreational reading, pleasure reading, free voluntary reading, and independent reading, is independent, self-selected reading of a continuous text for a wide range of personal and social purposes. It can take place in and out of university, at any time.

 

Moreover, Mkhabela (2022) point out that readers select from a wide range of extended texts, including but not exclusive to narrative fiction, nonfiction, picture books, e-books, magazines, social media, blogs, websites, newspapers, comic books, and graphic novels. Leisure reading is generally intrinsically or socially motivated and a pleasurable activity for the reader.

 

Here are a few benefits of reading for leisure or pleasure: - 

• To reduce psychological distress after the exam.
• To improve reading literacy
• To improve vocabulary and literacy skills.
• To understand different people's cultures
• To improve general knowledge

 

RELAX, HAVE FUN, LAUGH UNTIL YOU HAVE A PAINFUL TUMMY

 

References

Cawley, H. (2023). Leisure Reading — Literature https://libguides.library.nd.edu/leisure-reading

Mkhabela, D. E. (2022). Leisure reading experiences: the case study of young adult-readers at the University of Mpumalanga (Doctoral dissertation).

 https://www.lindawasylciw.ca/reading-to-pleasure-vs-reading-for-learning-pleasure/

 

 

Who is Magema Fuze?

By Shorba Harkhu

Have you attended a lecture where you listened intently and wanted to know more about the topic at hand? I was fortunate enough to attend the Dr Killie Campbell 2023 online lecture delivered by Professor Hlonipha Mokoena. Her lecture was lively and enlightening (and entertaining), and she injected so much life and character to her presentation. It felt as if she was conversing with a friend. I left her lecture brimming with new knowledge and wanting to know more about the content at hand, and about her.

Professor Mokoena is an associate professor at the University of Witwatersrand, and her lecture was on the life and times of Magema Fuze. You may be wondering who Magema Fuze was. Fuze (c. 1840–1922) was the author of the first ever book written in Zulu by a Zulu author. The book in question is Abantu Abamnyama Lapa Bavela Ngakona (The Black People and Whence They Came). He also self-published this book which makes him the first Zulu speaker to publish a book in the Zulu language (Mokoena, 2012).  Fuze’s book has been described as one of the principal sources of Zulu history and also one of the works that marked the transition from an oral tradition to a literate culture (Mokoena, 2012).

Fuze’s career in writing began in the 1850’s where he trained as a printer at John William Colenso’s (the first Bishop of Natal) printing press and mission school called Ekukhanyeni (Mokoena, 2009). He also wrote letters to and articles for newspapers such as Ilanga lase Natal and Ipepo Lo Hlanga (Mokoena, 2005).  

Professor Mokoena mentioned the difficulties she encountered while researching on this author for her PhD. She also provided interesting little anecdotes about her research journey. Since there were no online literature available on Fuze, her primary source of information were microfiche, which she accessed at Campbell Collections, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Mokoena also recalled how she used to take breaks from reading the microfiche by walking around the beautiful library gardens (see also Senzosenkosi Mkhize’s blog of 20 September 2023 about the gardens).

For further reading; a selection of Fuze’s papers is held at Campbell Collections. There is also a biography entitled Magema Fuze: The Making of a Kholwa Intellectual, by Hlonipha Mokoena published by UKZN Press. The Dr Killie Campbell 2023 lecture is available via this link https://youtu.be/uYA9ajrfJq8?si=g2q2y8Y1cYMF9EhW

 

Bibliography

Mokoena, H. 2005. Christian Converts and the Production of Kholwa Histories in Nineteenth-Century Colonial Natal: The Case of Magema Magwaza Fuze and his Writings. Journal of Natal and Zulu History, 23.

Mokoena, H. 2009. An Assembly of Readers: Magema Fuze and his Ilanga lase Natal Readers. Journal of Southern African Studies, 35, 595-607.

Mokoena, H. 2012. Fuze, Magema. In: Akyeampong, E. M. & Gates, H. L. (eds.) Dictionary of African biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available: https://books.google.co.za/books?id=39JMAgAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PA403&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Inspiring creativity in the library

By Jillian Viljoen

Libraries are usually viewed as buildings where books and journals are housed; where noise is taboo and speaking is done in low tones … a rather boring place. But did you know that libraries are places of learning where creativity can be encouraged and nurtured?

 

The UKZN PMB Main Library hosted 2 creative writing sessions on 22 and 29 September, in the spirit of Heritage month. We all have varied experiences, thoughts and views which we could share and what better way to do it than through creative writing.

 

Both sessions were facilitated by Brett Dix from the English Department. Brett’s passion was infectious as he focused on poetry and how the creative processes are born and explored. He explained the intricacies, various styles and skills to produce a publishable poem and encouraged abstract creative thought. During both sessions, we were given 10 minutes to write a poem related to the focus of each session. In the first session the poem was on any animal and in the second, the poem focused on an experience which we cherished. Brett encouraged us to read and use the books available to us in the library for research for our poems and for inspiration. Both sessions were thought-provoking and insightful.

 

Sqedile and Nox from the UKZN Press attended the session on 29 September. They explained the services that the UKZN Press provides and their respective roles at the UKZN Press. They also encouraged everyone to continue with their creative writing endeavours and to visit the UKZN Press.

 

The Library served as a venue to inspire creative writing and to market the UKZN Press; not so boring after all.

 

We look forward to other initiatives and activities in the library space. This initiative was just the tip of the iceberg.

Our budding poets and authors

                                                         

Evaluation and all that CRAAP

 

By Shorba Harkhu

In recent years the spreading of misinformation online has become more sophisticated and prolific (Fielding, 2019).) Once a site is believed to be “credible,” all information on it is often trusted and taken at face value, and it becomes far more difficult to counter, even with accurate facts (Fielding 2019). Furthermore, in this age of fake news, it is difficult to distinguish between credible and misleading sources of information. One of the most widely used tools for evaluating information is the CRAAP test, which was developed by a librarian named Sarah Blakesley in 2004.

 

So what is CRAAP?

The CRAAP test stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (Smith, 2017). It is a list of questions to assist in evaluating information. By applying the CRAAP test, one can filter out unreliable, outdated, or irrelevant information and focus on the most useful and trustworthy sources.

 

Criteria for evaluating information

         Currency: the timeliness of the information

·       When was the information published or posted?

·       Has the information been revised or updated?

·       Is the information current or out of date for your topic?

·       Are the links functional

 

      Relevance: the importance of the information for your needs

·       Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?

·       Who is the intended audience?

·       Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?

·       Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?

·       Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?

 

     Authority: the source of the information

·       Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?

·       Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?

·       What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?

·       What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?  Can they be verified?

·       Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?

·       Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?

 

     Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content, and

·       Where does the information come from?

·       Is the information supported by evidence?

·       Has the information been reviewed or refereed?

·       Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?

·       Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?

·       Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

 

    Purpose: the reason the information exists

·       What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?

·       Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?

·       Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?

·       Follow the money.  Who stands to gain from this?

·       Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?

·       Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

·       What clues does the format give to the purpose, audience, quality?

 

Source: Source: California State University, Chico, Meriam Library. (2010). www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/eval_websites.pdf

 

How can we apply CRAAP when teaching?

Our library databases comprise mainly of credible, peer-reviewed information, so when doing library instruction we can emphasize that aspect of CRAAP that highlights the importance of choosing information that is current and relevant. Unfortunately with websites like Google anyone with a webpage can create content, and one cannot filter results like we do with our databases. This is when we need to stress the importance of the CRAAP test.

 

Bibliography

Fielding, J. A. (2019). Rethinking CRAAP: Getting students thinking like fact-checkers in evaluating web sources. College & Research Libraries News 80(11): 620.

Smith, M. D. 2017. Arming Students against Bad Information. Phi Delta Kappan, 99, 

,56-58.