http://hdl.handle.net/11189/6067 Sun, 16 Aug 2026 08:30:12 GMT 2026-08-16T08:30:12Z https://digitalknowledge.cput.ac.za:443/retrieve/28199/ http://hdl.handle.net/11189/6067 http://hdl.handle.net/11189/5855 Title: Government public access centres (PACs): A beacon of hope for marginalised communities Authors: Uys, Cornelia Susanna; Pather, Shaun Abstract: Notwithstanding massive injections into broadband infrastructure, large sectors of the world’s population remain without access to the internet. One of the strategies employed by government and the private sector to address the digital divide has been to provide basic computing services and internet access to communities in the form of public access centres (PACs), otherwise known as telecentres. Over the years, PAC related interventions have been subjected to much introspection and critique given a number of examples of failures. This paper examines a PAC program in South Africa which has been running successfully since 2003. The paper reports on a study which includes data collected from more than 2400 users of PACs. The findings provide critical insights into the value proposition of PACs for communities in impoverished areas and whether this approach is still relevant from a policy perspective to tackle the digital divide. The findings also provide insights into the profile of users; the factors which impact on their choice of a PAC as an internet access point; and the extent to which there is a reliance on PACs. The most revealing finding from the study indicates that PACs provided the average user with something more than just an internet access point. The study has determined that PACs have a significant effect on the hopefulness a citizen has for his or her self, community and country. Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/11189/5855 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/5501 Title: The Importance of a University Identity for Students and Alumni: The Case of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa Authors: Rust, AA Braam; Uys, Cornelia Susanna Abstract: The identity of a university (logo/emblem) is something that the members (students, alumni, staff, donors) have accepted as the image of the institution. At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), South Africa, identity building is a strategic effort from management, but uncertainty about the success thereof, exists. The aim with this study was to determine the perceptions of senior students at CPUT on the university’s efforts to build identity. In this quantitative study it was found that the students are not convinced that the efforts of the university to build a successful identity, are fruitful; that efforts by CPUT in respect of creating an emblem/ logo, were not noticeable; that CPUT’s brand is not well developed; that not all students or alumni are proud to wear CPUT clothing in public; that efforts where CPUT constantly boosts its emblem/logo in the media, are not known by students; and that students are shy to wear clothing when on holiday (away from campus), over weekends, or after work or after classes (when socializing somewhere at clubs, for example), with CPUT’s emblem/ logo on it. The study highlighted that the efforts of building an identity for CPUT are not successful and should be rethought. Wed, 01 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/11189/5501 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/5147 Title: The effect of search engine keyword choice and demographic features on internet searching success Authors: Weideman, Melius; Uys, Cornelia Susanna Abstract: The objective of this project was to determine the effect of keyword choice and demographic features on Internet searching success through empirical research. An experiment was done with 1,109 learners, spread across forty-six institutes of higher education on three continents. A variety of relationships were then inspected: that between the number of keywords used, age, race, and gender, and the searching-success rate. The results proved that the first three of these have measurable effects on searching success, while gender has only a marginal effect. Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/11189/5147 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/4587 Title: The impact of an academic reading programme in the Bachelor of Education (intermediate and senior phase) degree Authors: Livingston, Candice; Klopper, Betsie; Cox, Sanet; Uys, Cornelia Susanna Abstract: Research regarding the academic reading load experienced by first year students at universities in South Africa indicated that students are woefully under-prepared to deal with this load as they have limited reading experiences and strategies. This led to the implementation of an academic reading programme at a university of technology. In order to measure the impact of this academic reading programme, a sequential explanatory mixed-method model was designed to determine if the reading programme had led to any significant gains in reading speed and reading comprehension. The results of the empirical study indicated that the academic reading programme improved reading speed whilst maintaining comprehension. Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/11189/4587 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z