Browsing by Title
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Ikpe, I.B. (Edinburgh University Press, www.eupjournals.com/ijhac, NaN, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: The advent of e-learning has been a welcomed development in African universities, especially in countries where the demand for university education far outstrips capacity. This form of instruction not only has helped in reducing the problem of managing and testing large classes, but it also has helped lecturers in providing valuable assistance to students who would otherwise not have such access. The limitations of the e-learning platform coupled with a distorted student-teacher ratio has raised concerns about quality, especially for traditional humanities disciplines where the emphasis on argumentative rigor and critical thinking are at odds with the science leaning orientation of e-learning platforms. This concern is especially important because the technology is relatively new and there are problems of access not only in terms of infrastructure but also in terms of the relevant computer literacy skills required of users of the technology. This essay examines the problems associated with the use of e-learning in teaching and examining traditional humanities courses in general but especially the problems encountered in using e-learning in teaching and assessing critical thinking courses at the University of Botswana. I argue that although certain aspects of e-learning are structured, confining, and therefore unsuitable for traditional humanities disciplines, e-learning can still be an appropriate tool for the humanities if used appropriately and creatively. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/929 Files in this item: 1
Ikpe_IJHAC_2011.pdf (1.393Mb) -
VanderPost, C. (Botswana Society, http://www.botsoc.org.bw, NaN, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: During the years 1849 to 1900 the first maps of (portions of) the Okavango Delta region in Ngamiland were produced by missionaries, explorers, travellers and adventurers. Considerable progress was made from the first attempt by Livingstone and Oswell in 1849 to the work by Passarge at the turn of the 20th century. There were great improvements in the positional accuracy of Lake Ngami, the initial attraction of the region, and many of the river courses and other features in the Okavango-Ngamiland region, as maps became much more detailed. This paper describes the progress from the first rather inaccurate mapping attempts to the more sophisticated work produced just before the turn of the 20th century when the word ‘Okavango’ actually began to appear on maps. These early mapping efforts laid the foundation for the cartography of the colonial era. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/955 Files in this item: 1
VanderPost 2005 Early maps.pdf (2.241Mb) -
Thakadu, O.T.; Mangadi, K.T.; Bernard, F.E.; Mbaiwa, J.E. (Botswana Society, NaN, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: This study aimed at assessing the economic contribution of safari hunting to rural livelihoods in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, using Sankuyo village as a case study. This study was carried out between June and July 2004. It employed primary and secondary data sources. Findings indicate that, within the context of Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM), safari hunting has socio-economic benefits accruing to Sankuyo (at household and community level). These benefits include income(coming in the form of cash dividends and through employment) that have been generated, and the development of recreational and household sanitation facilities that has taken place in the village. The study also found that the distribution of safari hunting benefits among Sankuyo households is fairly equitable. Income from safari hunting has also been used to purchase communally owned resources such as vehicles. Because of these benefits, the people of Sankuyo have since developed positive attitudes towards safari hunting. These findings thus suggest that safari hunting is important in improving rural livelihoods in the Okavango Delta while at the same time promoting natural resource conservation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/944 Files in this item: 1
Thakadu 2005 Economic.pdf (2.744Mb) -
Anderson, G.O.; Mokgwathi, T.S. (University of Botswana, NaN, 2000)[more][less]
Abstract: Engineering and training play an important role in the technical, economic and social progress of society.A number of factors influence the education and training of engineers, from the nature and form of curricular to needs of employers and the changing patterns of professional employment. Key issues are being raised by changes in technology, in society and by the impact of developments in information technology on industry and commercial development, on the engineer profession, on the educational institutions and on education and training of engineers. The paper considers the education and training of engineers using data and information from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology(FET), University of Botswana as a case study. Historical background is introduced.Student enrolment in terms of gender and foreign students are presented.Also presented are the academic programs and staff structures.The goals of the Faculty have been highlighted and strategies to be applied to achieve these goals have been recommended. The paper could be of interest to staff of FET and UB, Engineering Institutions in Africa and also to the Botswana Ministry of Finance and Manpower Development. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/674 Files in this item: 1
Anderson_BJT_2000.pdf (1.982Mb) -
Siphambe, H.K. (Taylor and Francis (Routledge), NaN, 2000)[more][less]
Abstract: Using primary data from a 1993/4 Household Income and Expenditure Survey in Botswana, this article presents empirical results on occupational attainment, its determinants, and the extent of filtering down in Botswana's labour market, given changes in labour market conditions over time. It was found that the Botswana labour market has been characterised by some ‘filtering down’ of educated workers into less skilled jobs as the supply of skilled manpower exceeded demand. Those who entered the labour market earlier, those with more education, those located in the urban areas and male workers are more likely to occupy jobs that are higher up in the hierarchy than to be in an unskilled blue-collar job. Jobs higher up in the hierarchy are also more rewarding financially. The article shows that there is occupational segregation of workers by gender in Botswana's labour market in that female workers are generally confined to a narrow range of occupations. The policy implications are that employment creation has to be pursued vigorously and the issue of gender discrimination investigated further URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/884 Files in this item: 1
Siphambe_DSA_2000.pdf (652.9Kb) -
Ketlhoilwe, M.P. (IJSRE, http://www.ijsre.com, December NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: The implementation of education for sustainable development (ESD) demand for a review of the current epistemological and pedagogical practices in the context of the objectives of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD). Most of higher education institutions are grappling with the introduction of education for sustainable development into the curriculum. The paper is interrogating possible epistemological and pedagogical practices for higher education institutions in Southern Africa. It draws on reports from Southern Africa Higher Education Institutions. The paper highlights on themes and topics that may be of interest, most useful and suitable for teaching education for sustainable development in contributing to the implementation of UNDESD at higher education institutions. It explores social, economic, political and ecological issues, local contexts and impact. The paper stimulates and invites debates on sustainability issues and their implication for research, community engagement and teaching and learning practices at higher education institutions and curriculum policy change to promote social transformation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/803 Files in this item: 1
Ketlhoilwe_IJSRE_2010.pdf (1.758Mb) -
Tabulawa, R.T. (Routledge http://www.informaworld.com, February NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: Literature on globalisation claims that changed global patterns of production and industrial organisation have intensified international economic competition, prompting nations globally to restructure their education systems in an attempt to position themselves favourably in an increasingly competitive economic environment. This is an environment that now requires a new kind of worker, what Castells terms the self-programmable worker. This has put education under pressure to produce the learner-equivalent of the self-programmable worker. This self-programmable learner is characterised by such psychosocial traits as independence of thought, innovativeness, creativity and flexibility. Botswana's Revised National Policy on Education (RNPE) of 1994 represents the country's response to globalisation. It purports to produce the self-programmable learner for an economy undergoing rapid transformation. In this paper I take a critical view of the policy's intent. By analysing two of its central constructs (pre-vocational preparation strategy and the behaviourist model adopted in the review of the curriculum), upon which the production of the self-programmable learner hinges, I conclude that it is unlikely that the preferred learner would be produced. The two constructs are identified as paradoxes in that their effects are most likely to be the opposite of what is intended. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/733 Files in this item: 1
Tabulawa_CE_2009.pdf (2.061Mb) -
Chilisa, B. (International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education; Taylor & Francis [ http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/09518398.asp ], November NaN, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper uses the postcolonial lens to highlight that mainstream research in postcolonial societies still ignores, marginalizes and suppresses other knowledge systems and ways of knowing. The marginalization of local knowledge systems, it is argued, was established in the colonial times that relegated all things indigenous or from the colonized communities as unworthy, uncivilized, barbaric and superstitious. Systematic efforts to inscribe Western ways of cultural, economic, political and social systems were applied during the colonial times and maintained in the post-independence era. The educational system did not escape the colonial construction of the colonized subjects and their relegation to otherness. Years after the struggle for independence the content of what is taught, methods of teaching and research remain Western in non-Western contexts. This does not only alienate the ‘othered’ from their own knowledge systems, it can be a matter of life and death as demonstrated by the HIV/AIDS information and education campaign. Using excerpts from studies on HIV/AIDS, the paper highlights that interventions to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, legitimized by conventional/Western research knowledge and frameworks, have alienated the people from the struggle to prevent the spread of the virus. Findings from a number of research studies on HIV/AIDS in Botswana are analyzed within the framework of current prevention strategies, more specifically posters and cartoons used in the campaign against HIV/AIDS, to illustrate the marginalization of other knowledge systems and the intersection of the ‘otherness’ ideology with mainstream First World research methodologies. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/54 Files in this item: 2
chilisacolonization1.pdf (3.399Mb)license.txt (1.998Kb) -
Sathiaraj, T.S. (Elsevier Ltd, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared by RF sputtering of ceramic ITO target in pure argon atmosphere at a high base pressure of 3 10 4mbar without substrate heating and oxygen admittance. The use of pure argon during deposition resulted in films with high transparency (80–85%) in the visible and IR wavelength region. The films were subsequently annealed in air in the temperature range 100–400 1C. The annealed films show decreased transmittance in the IR region and decreased resistivity. The films were characterized by electron microscopy, spectrophotometry and XRD. The predominant orientation of the films is (2 2 2) instead of (4 0 0). The transmission and reflection spectra in the wavelength range 300–2500 nm are used to study the optical behaviour of the films. The optical transmittance and reflectance spectra of the films were simultaneously simulated with different dielectric function models. The best fit of the spectrophotometric data was obtained using the frequency-dependent damping constant in the Drude model coupled with the Bruggeman effective medium theory for the surface roughness. It has been found that the sputtering power and the chamber residual pressure play a key role in the resulting optical properties. This paper presents the refractive index profile, the structure determined from the XRD and the electrical properties of ITO films. It has been found from the electrical measurement that films sputtered at 200W power and subsequently annealed at 400 1C have a sheet resistance of 80O/& and resistivity of 1.9 10 3Ocm. Description: Some mathematical symbols may not come as they are in the abstract. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/690 Files in this item: 1
Effect of annealing.pdf (1.308Mb) -
Sathiaraj, T.S. (Elsevier Science Ltd. http://www.elsevier.com/locate/mejo, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared by RF sputtering of ceramic ITO target in pure argon atmosphere at a high base pressure of 3×10−4 mbar without substrate heating and oxygen admittance. The use of pure argon during deposition resulted in films with high transparency (80–85%) in the visible and IR wavelength region. The films were subsequently annealed in air in the temperature range 100–400 °C. The annealed films show decreased transmittance in the IR region and decreased resistivity. The films were characterized by electron microscopy, spectrophotometry and XRD. The predominant orientation of the films is (2 2 2) instead of (4 0 0). The transmission and reflection spectra in the wavelength range 300–2500 nm are used to study the optical behaviour of the films. The optical transmittance and reflectance spectra of the films were simultaneously simulated with different dielectric function models. The best fit of the spectrophotometric data was obtained using the frequency-dependent damping constant in the Drude model coupled with the Bruggeman effective medium theory for the surface roughness. It has been found that the sputtering power and the chamber residual pressure play a key role in the resulting optical properties. This paper presents the refractive index profile, the structure determined from the XRD and the electrical properties of ITO films. It has been found from the electrical measurement that films sputtered at 200 W power and subsequently annealed at 400 °C have a sheet resistance of 80 Ω/□ and resistivity of 1.9×10−3 Ωcm. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/631 Files in this item: 1
Sathiaraj_MJ_2008.pdf (763.9Kb) -
Kumar, J.; Kumar, P.; Suri, N.; Ahmad, M.; Thangaraj, R.; Sathiaraj, T.S. ( NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: Optical properties of Pb doped ternary Ge-Sb-Te chalcognide films prepared by thermal evaporation have been studied in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions. The straightforward analysis proposed by Swanepoel has been successfully employed and it has allowed us to accurately determine the refractive index and extinction coefficient of the films. The refractive index has been determined from the upper and lower envelopes of the transmission spectra. The absorption coefficient and extinction coefficient have been determined from the transmission spectra in the strong-absorption region. The dispersion of the refractive index is discussed in terms of the Wemple–DiDomenico single oscillator model. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/544 Files in this item: 1
Effect of composition.pdf (950.3Kb) -
Chaturvedi, P.; George, S.; Milinganyo, M.; Tripathi, Y.B. (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1573, NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: In this study, the methanol extract of Momordica charantia fruit extract was administered to diabetic rats to assess the long term effect of the extract on the lipid profile and the oral glucose tolerance test. Treatment for 30 days showed a significant decrease in triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and a significant increase in high density lipoprotein level. A significant effect on oral glucose tolerance was also noted. Chronic administration showed an improvement in the oral glucose tolerance curve. The effect was more pronounced when the test was done in rats fed the extract on the day of the test compared with tests done in rats which were not fed the extract on the same day. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1017 Files in this item: 1
Chaturvedi_PR_2004.pdf (258.2Kb) -
Taiwo, A.A.; Tyolo, J.B. (Elsevier, http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/homepage.cws_home, January 8, 2002)[more][less]
Abstract: Evidence abounds in the literature of a direct link between pre-primary education and academic performance in the primary school. The salutary effect of the ‘Head start’ programme inaugurated in the United States of America in the early 1960s on the academic performances of its beneficiaries in the lower primary is such a piece of evidence. Premised on this commonality between pre-primary education and academic achievement in the primary school, the study aimed at finding out whether there were significant differences in the performances of Botswana grade one pupils with preschool education experience and their counterparts without such an experience on selected tasks in English language, mathematics and science. Using purposive sampling technique for school selection, a total of 120 grade one pupils were randomly selected for the study from four selected primary schools in Botswana. In addition, 20 grade one teachers from the study schools participated in the study. For data collection purpose, each pupil-subject was individually interviewed for about 20 min on the study tasks; and the opinions of the twenty teachers on the subject of the study was sampled by the use of a questionnaire. The results of the study indicated that pupils with pre-school education experience significantly out-performed their counterparts without such experience in all the three school subject areas surveyed by the study. This trend of the impact of pre-school education on academic achievement at the early primary school level was corroborated by the opinions of the primary school teachers. The paper concluded by observing that preschool education equips children with pre-requisite skills which make learning in grade one easier and faster for children so exposed. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/722 Files in this item: 1
Taiwo_IJED_2002.pdf (1.263Mb) -
Mahgoub, S.E.O.; Ahmed, B.M.; Ahmed, M.M.O.; El Agib, E.N.A.A. (Elsevier; www.elsevier.com/locate/foodchem, NaN, 1999)[more][less]
Abstract: The effect of fermentation, germination and heating on the levels of thiamine, riboflavin and some mineral elements was studied in Sudanese kisra bread and hulu-mur drink prepared from the two sorghum cultivars dabar and fetarita, consecutively. Fermentation of kisra increased riboflavin but decreased thiamine significantly (p<0.01), whereas fermentation of hulu-mur reduced the levels of both vitamins significantly (p<0.01). Germination of fetarita grains for 6 days caused a significant (p<0.01) increase of riboflavin (700%) and a significant (p<0.01) reduction of thiamine (42%). Riboflavin was not affected by baking of kisra and thiamine level was slightly reduced. Hulu-mur baking caused significant (p<0.01) reduction of both thiamine and riboflavin. Fermentation caused no significant effect (p<0.01) on the mineral contents of kisra or hulu-mur. Addition of spices to hulu-mur dough caused significant increases (p<0.01) of strontium (80%), calcium (60%) and iron (35%). Germination of fetarita grains caused significant increases (p<0.01) of zinc (90%), lead (65%) and molybdenum (58%). Baking of kisra and hulu-mur did not cause any significant loss (p<0.01) in the contents of minerals. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/215 Files in this item: 2
license.txt (1.998Kb)Mahgoub_FC_1999.pdf (1.152Mb) -
Moseki, B.; Dintwe, K. (Global Science Books, http://www.globalsciencebooks.info/, NaN, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: The effects of water stress on the photosynthetic characteristics of two locally-cultivated sorghum cultivars (‘Segaolane’ and ‘Town’) were investigated over a period of weeks. Water stress was imposed on 1-week-old plants by withholding water. Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence were used to determine changes in the efficiency of light utilization for electron transport, the occurrence of photoinhibition of photosystem II photochemistry on the sorghum cultivars. Drought treatment significantly decreased leaf area in all species, an important factor in drought-induced decreases in photosynthetic productivity. Water-stressed ‘Town’ exhibited a decrease in maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (estimated from dark-adapted Fν⁄Fм ratio) with increasing period of withholding water. Light-adapted Fν’⁄Fм’ estimated the efficiency of excitation energy transfer to open PSII centres. Water-stressed ‘Town’ displayed a decrease in the efficiency of excitation energy transfer to open PSII reaction centres throughout the entire study period. The quantum yield of PSII electron transport (фPSII), which represents electron flow beyond PSII, decreased markedly in water-stressed ‘Town’ compared with that of water-stressed ‘Segaolane’. These initial findings indicate that ‘Town’ is more prone to photoinhibition than ‘Segaolane’. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/962 Files in this item: 1
Moseki_AJPSB_2011.pdf (96.03Kb) -
Murty, V.R.K. (Elsevier Science Ltd. www.elsevier.com/locate/radphyschem, NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: The study of interaction of photons with matter finds wide application in areas such as industry, medical radiation dosimetry and radiation shielding. A careful review of these measurements indicates that the studies are exhaustive in respect of pure elements. However, measurements on photon attenuation in alloys are meagre. This is mainly due to the difficulty in procuring targets in suitable form for experimentation. Such studies play a prominent role in selecting alternative shielding materials on the cost-effective basis. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/268 Files in this item: 1
Murty_RPC71_2004.pdf (223.2Kb) -
Baliyan, S. (IJSRE, http://www.ijsre.com, September NaN, 2012)[more][less]
Abstract: This formative evaluation seeks to measure the effectiveness of Botswana ICT curriculum (Code 0417) by evaluating the content taught and the instructional strategies used to deliver the course contents. It also seeks to assess whether both academics and students felt that the course content and instructional strategies were important. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative research designs as surveys, focus groups, one-on-one interviews, classroom observations and student test annual examination grades were used to collect data. Sixty students enrolled in the course and twelve course instructors were selected randomly from a sample of three private senior secondary schools in Botswana. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to analyse the data collected. Students rated all ICT course topics, except computer networks, as less useful than did their instructors. Both students and teachers offered a number of suggestions on how this course might be improved. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1108 Files in this item: 1
Baliyan_IJSRE_2012.pdf (1.104Mb) -
Mladenov, N.; McKnight, D.M.; Wolski, P.; Ramberg, L. (The Society of Wetland Scientists, NaN, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: In the Okavango Delta in Botswana, dissolved organic matter (DOM) transport is controlled by the slow movement of an annual flood ‘pulse’ across permanently and seasonally flooded wetlands, known respectively as the Permanent Swamp and Seasonal Swamp. We studied temporal and spatial variations in fluorescence index (FI) and specific UV absorbance (SUVA) of DOM to identify DOM sources and fate during the flood. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations ranged from 2 to 25 mg C L21 in channels of the Delta, with seasonal floodplains having consistently higher concentrations. Chemical indices, such as DOC concentrations, conductivity, specific UV absorbance (SUVA), fluorescence, total dissolved nitrogen, and chlorophyll a, were analyzed for channel and floodplain sites in the Seasonal Swamp. DOC concentrations increased during the rising limb of the flood in the Seasonal Swamp. SUVA of whole water samples and fluorescence index (FI) of fulvic acids isolated from channel and floodplain sites changed in a manner indicating the release of DOM by leaching of plant litter during the flood. After the flood receded, DOC concentrations and fulvic acid content decreased, and microbially-derived sources of organic matter dominated. Along two river reaches, measuring over 400 km each, variations in DOC concentrations were primarily due to geomorphology, with the effects of the annual flood overprinted atop the spatial controls. Increasing downstream DOC concentrations were found to be a product of inundation of DOC-rich seasonal floodplains and evaporation-enriched waters downstream. Increasing SUVA, dissolved nitrogen, and fulvic acid content, and decreasing FI downstream suggested microbial processing of terrestrial DOM and possible release of nutrients incorporated in the DOM. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/526 Files in this item: 1
Mladenov2005FLOODynamics.pdf (2.529Mb) -
Pansiri, J. (Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam.; www.elsevier.com/locate/tourman, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: This study examines the effects of characteristics of alliance partners on perceived strategic alliance performance. Alliance relationships were explored within and between the travel sector, and other tourism sectors of accommodation and transport. Study results indicate company executives' high level of satisfaction with alliances performance. Commitment and capability has been found to positively influence general satisfaction with alliance performance, market share and profitability, and overall alliance performance while trust positively influence general satisfaction with alliance performance. Control was found to have an influence on satisfaction with technology transfer and alliance operational performance while compatibility was positively associated with general satisfaction with alliance performance. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/79 Files in this item: 2
license.txt (1.998Kb)Pansiri_TM_2008.pdf (5.794Mb) -
Chaturvedi, P.; Segale, M. (Academic Journals http://www.academicjournals.org/SRE/index.htm, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: Four types of extracts were prepared from Melia azedarach fruits. These were methanol extract and three types of water decoctions; urine treated water decoction (UE), milk treated water decoction (ME) and plain water decoction (WE). Different doses of these four extracts were tried in normal rats to estimate the hypoglycemic activity of these extracts against glucose induced hyperglycemia. Most potent doses of all the extracts were assessed for their effects on lipid peroxidation, toxic effects on liver and reduced glutathione which is considered as first line of defense against free radicals in normal rats after 10 days of oral administration. All the extracts were found to posses hypoglycemic properties. Methanol extract showed toxic effects on the liver as indicated by high activities of Serum glutamate oxaloacetate (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate tranasaminase (SGPT). It also indicated high rate of lipid peroxidation and depleted reduced glutathione levels of plasma. On the other hand three water decoctions showed very low activities of SGOT, SGPT, very low rates of lipid peroxidation and high levels of reduced glutathione. Extract prepared by the Ayurvedic method reduce blood glucose in glucose induced hyperglycemic rats and impart no toxicity. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/181 Files in this item: 2
Effects of different types of water.pdf (836.9Kb)license.txt (1.998Kb)