Celebrating All the Dad’s this Father’s Day

“Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song.” Pam Brown

In 2020, everything is moving at a much faster pace. Not only are we peaking in terms of advances in technology, with smartphones and virtual meeting platforms it is hard to switch off. Then came COVID-19 and working remotely has meant that we no longer necessarily have office hours. For many, work and home life suddenly became integrated into everyday life.

While this has impacted moms who work from home, we cannot forget the dads and their very important role in the lives of their children. On the 21st of June, we celebrate Father’s Day. We asked some of our ‘Dads’ at Eiffel Corp what being a father means to them.

1) What does fatherhood mean to you?

This is a tough job man.  Everyday. No breaks no weekends off…nothing.  I think I should take up drinking to give myself a break.  But it is my greatest achievement in life and I love it.

Being a teacher, a guide, a protector, a friend, a provider to little souls and helping them understand the world. Helping them to be good people and to be a positive influence on society.

The need to change my actions to lead by example and not act on impulse, the choice to love someone more than my own life.

Being a guide, mentor and helping my kids learn about the big wide world and all the wonderful things in it. It also means helping them discover their talents, interests and how the differences we all have are small, that we should be thankful for all that we have been given and to be respectful of everyone and everything. It’s also about creating lasting and happy memories my children can treasure their whole lives.

2) What do you like most about being a dad?

Although my kids are big, we still cuddle and I listen to their stories and pretend to be interested in some of the teenage stuff.

I love watching my kids grow in every sense, seeing them experiencing something for the first time and the wonder and excitement it brings. It is like seeing the world for the first time through their eyes.

Watching them grow into their potential and know I had a major part in moulding a successful human being.

Having fun and reliving my favourite memories of being a kid again through my kids’ experiences. Building forts, racing bikes, laughing at silly situations and all the simple little pleasures that bring so much joy to growing up.

3) What lockdown moment with your child(ren) have you enjoyed the most?

I know this is a bit evil but just to see them do some house chores that they’re not used to doing, but it gives them a new appreciation for what is done daily without them knowing.

To be able to spend time with them, to assist with their schoolwork and teach them some academics. To work around the house with them and do things together. The positive thing for me in this lockdown, is that it has allowed me to be closer with my children.

How they were forced to learn to work together in our confined spaces, but mostly the schools reopening. 

Spending lots of close contact time together and learning more about each other. Life is hectic and we miss the little interactions that are really such a big part of every relationship.

From all of us at Eiffel Corp – Happy Father’s Day!

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Online teaching and learning for TVET Colleges

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a paradigm shift in all spheres of life.

In this webinar, we focused on teaching and learning in TVET colleges and the shift from traditional teaching and learning to online teaching and learning.

Our Director of Digital Learning Services, Myles Thies, addressed digital learning within the context of TVET Colleges; touching on the communities TVET’s serve, as well as students’ use, access and experience when it comes to technology.

The webinar touched on the following questions:

  • How can TVETS meet the needs of digital learning?
  • Practical considerations?
  • The importance of Digital Teaching Strategy?
  • TVET lecturer skills base and preparation for online learning?
  • How does an LMS support learning?
  • What skills do stakeholders need to support TVET digital teaching?

Watch the recording in the video below. For more information on our Digikamva LMS (Learning Management System), click here

Get in touch: TVETS and Online Learning

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MUT Chooses iThenticate – Success Story

iThenticate is the most trusted plagiarism checker by the world’s top researchers, publishers, and scholars. It facilitates the upload and checking of documents via a web-based interface that is quick and intuitive. It differs from Turnitin, in that submissions are not stored in a database (view the comparison below for more iThenticate and Turnitin). Instead, articles are checked and reviewed against the top 93 sited Journals in the world – online.

We recently asked Mangosuthu University of Technology about their choice to roll out iThenticate at their institution as a tool to reduce plagiarism.

Why did you choose iThenticate?

The aim was to reduce plagiarism among both students and staff. We wanted to start putting together advanced resources to help us. iThenticate promised to offer advanced services to help us support advanced diploma and post-graduate courses.

Where do you see MUT in the near future?

The university hopes to improve student writing, discourage plagiarism and promote academic rigour. The number of advanced diploma and post-graduate programmes is increasing. It is therefore expected that research programmes will be increasing too. We would like to promote and maintain academic integrity.

What challenges have you faced, specifically regarding research and academic integrity and what motivated you to solve them?

Students generally come to the university under-prepared for the academic programmes. The focus of teaching and learning tends to be on increasing the pass rates and through-puts. The temptation to take short-cuts by students is always there.  There is a need to improve the reputation of the institution and increase the quality of its graduates. Therefore, the appropriate efforts to support at-risk students, offer tutorial support to students, and to focus on academic and information literacies have been put into place.

What would you say to other institutions facing the same challenges as you do?

While our roll out and full implementation experience of iThenticate have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we would encourage other institutions to make a start.

Our students have shown a great deal of appreciation for getting useful feedback to identify areas in need of improvement.

The amount of work involved in getting academic departments to buy into the software is worth it. Our approach has been to offer ongoing support to enroll, train and guide students and staff.

Why did you choose Eiffel Corp to help you with your Academic Integrity journey?

Having worked with Eiffel Corp in the past on our Learning Management System and other services and products, we felt confident in working with their team to roll out iThenticate for us.

Are you interested in iThenticate?

Please get in touch and one of our consultants will be in touch.

iThenticate Contact Form

Complete the form to find out more about iThenticate
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How to Prevent Contract Cheating with Turnitin

The COVID-19 Pandemic has created unprecedented circumstances where students have been forced into remote learning. This has been stressful in various ways. With this sudden transition, students experience stress, lack of connection with their lecturers, lack of motivation and overall struggles. These circumstances make shortcuts, like cheating, even more tempting.

Contract cheating is seen as an easy choice, mainly due to the convenience of asking a friend or the many websites and ads that pop up for essay writing services. There is a promise that the work will go undetected. A quick and easy way to get work done, especially when students feel isolated.

The temptation is even higher due to all the targeted online ads offering essays that are “plagiarism-free”, “original writing”, “professional”, “experts”, “professional writing services”, “highly qualified”, “here to help you”. These ads have a way of making their offers seem normal, and so it seems that students are not really participating in misconduct.

So how do you motivate students in the current context of COVID-19 to maintain their Academic Integrity?

And how do lecturers identify work that is not original – whether written with inputs from friends or family; or by a paid service?

How do you prevent contract cheating within the remote learning context?

1) Be clear

It is important to define contract cheating as an act of misconduct. Be sure to include this in your academic integrity statement. Students must take note and understand that contract cheating is “the act of engaging third-party to complete an assignment on their behalf, which is then submitted for assessment/credit” (Lee, 2020). Be sure to show examples too – this should include swapping papers with your peer; it can be in exchange for a favour, and it can also mean paying someone for writing an essay. While it is not technically plagiarism, it is cheating and therefore seen as a form of academic misconduct.

Do note if you have moved to an online platform during this time, it is important to reiterate academic integrity policies again within the new learning environment.

2) Provide Ongoing Feedback

When students receive positive feedback, it affirms their confidence and motivates learning. In this manner, lecturers and instructors or motivating academic integrity. This will, of course, contribute to the prevention of academic misconduct and contract cheating. Be sure to point out achievements of specific learning objectives, to ensure the student feels noticed.

Furthermore, be sure to be available for your students – more than usual at first – to ensure they have support. Perhaps setting aside specific slots for a one-on-one time could help.

3) Accelerate feedback processes

Make use of tools such as Feedback Studio or Gradescope to share feedback quickly and efficiently. These tools offer feedback in assessment options for all subjects. Furthermore, you should use item analysis and data insights to see where your students might have learning gaps. This will help you offer better support. In addition to the support, you will also gain a better understanding of your student’s authorial voice.

4) Support learning needs

Be sure to think of special learning needs, especially when it comes to remote learning. Cater for those with hearing impairment, by adding subtitles for example. Or describe your visuals in your presentations, for those who may have a visual impairment. Ensure class recordings are accessible afterwards too. When students feel supported in these ways, they may feel less vulnerable and therefore less likely to opt for contract cheating companies.

5) Turn to Turnitin

Besides the abovementioned tools, Turnitin Originality includes tools, reports and data to help you, the instructor, feel more confident in identifying different forms of misconduct, such as contract cheating.  Turnitin Originality helps surface data and insights – making it easier to spot and mitigate contract cheating on a large-scale level. Some of these authorship features include:

  • Document metadata and other concerning indicators are shared with instructors to provide data to review and action any instances of contract cheating
  • A comparison of a student’s work using forensic language analysis against prior submissions to clearly analyse and identify contract cheating
  • An administrator dashboard to provide transparency into and identify tiers of risk across your institution
  • Investigator reports that pull deep metadata and language analysis to help understand student writing trends and any anomalies in student writing
  • Citation detection to identify inconsistent citation styles often used in contract cheating attempts

As we live in uncertain times, where online teaching and learning has become part of a new normal, these suggestions could be helpful in promoting academic integrity and developing students’ original writing skills.

This original blog appeared on Turnitin’s website, here. Written by Christine Lee, Senior Marketing Writer / Adjunct Professor of Writing. It has been adjusted for Eiffel Corp by Jolene du Plessis.

Want to learn more? Get in touch for more information on all the tools and functions Turnitin has to offer.

Get in touch - Learn more about Turnitin

 

 

 

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Cost Efficiency
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Recap: Why Academia Webinar – Customisation and Integrations

Why Academia Webinars
Join us as we share how Academia SIS enables your institution to grow and succeed. We will discuss and demonstrate how the main components of this Student Information System work, as well as the ease-of-use and integration capabilities.
This is a recap of our customization and integration webinar.
Please remember to join us for our next Webinar on the 23rd of May:
Webinar 3: 27 May 2020 at 11am Technology and Hosting
Webinar 4: 10 June 2020 at 11am Cost Efficiency
Webinar 5: 24 June 2020 at 11am Managing Change with SIS Implementation
Register here
Visit Academia SIS or contact us at marketing@eiffelcorp.co.za for more information.
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The Blue Couch Podcast: Digital Learning and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has awarded us the opportunity to reassess what we consider the norm. What used to be life as normal and business, as usual, has been put to the test. This, however, has not just brought about health concerns, it has equally enabled us to see how we can better implement various ways of teaching, learning, and collaborating online.  Join us in this episode as we reflect on some of the key lessons we have learnt from this global pandemic.

 

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#IAMGRATEFUL

We asked some of the Eiffel Corp team what they are grateful for during the COVID-19 pandemic and this is what they had to say:

#IAMGRATEFUL

For home deliveries.

That I work for a company that is a leader in what education needs now… go digital.

That my family is happy and healthy and all under one roof during these difficult times.

For technology so that we are still able to assist our clients and to support and come up with solutions to take them to that next level.

To have people around me at this time of lockdown, even if they drive me crazy!!

For the people and technology around and available, that enable me to continue working from home.

For all the blessings I have in life with the family, friends and colleagues that I get to share my journey with and just knowing that they are safe during this unprecedented time in our young democracy.

I am grateful that I work for an innovative company that is serious about education and provides tailored solutions to ensure the continuation of learning and teaching through innovative methods.

For the family that God has given unto me.

For the Team that has surrounded me and their willingness to share experiences as we impact the greater community of South Africa.

I am grateful, that I can enjoy the small and free pleasures of life.

For the roof over my head and warm home with family.

That our company took on the challenge to carry on serving our clients in these unprecedented times.

That in these times of separation and with the assistance of technology, we can still stay in contact with our families and colleagues wherever they may be in the world.

That God has granted me the chance to live out my dreams till the age that I am currently at.

I am grateful that I get to work for a company that is innovative and strives to enhance the African continent.

I am grateful that I have a family to spend lockdown with, to laugh and cry with and just to ‘be’ with.

I am grateful, for the amazing team I work and ‘do’ life with.

For all that I’ve learnt from my workplace, and that we are able to adapt to the new normal with technology.

For my family, especially my daughter.

To be alive and healthy.

To work at an awesome technology company that allows me to work remotely.

That my family is safe and healthy and that the Rugby World Cup was in 2019…

The fact that I have the opportunity to contribute to education in Africa during these trying times.

I am grateful to wake up every day to make a difference in society.

I am grateful to be a part of a company such as Eiffel Corp with so much diversity and innovation in terms of educational technology for the future.

To be South African (which is why the flag is in the picture) because as diverse as we are, we definitely know the sense of Ubuntu and taking care of one another.

Professionally, I’m grateful to be in an industry where innovation grows to infinity while being fortunate enough to work anywhere in the world because of the internet!

I’m so grateful to be locked up for 21 days (or more) with the two most awesome little human beings in the world……yes, sometimes they do drive me cRaZy…..but I won’t trade this precious situation for anything in the whole wide world!!

I’m grateful to be part of a company where numbers are important but PEOPLE MATTER….whether it is their employees or their clients!!

I am grateful that my mind can be actively busy with work during the lockdown.

I am grateful that I don’t have to sit in traffic!!

In a world where people are waking up to no jobs, I am grateful that I can still work and pursue my passion in these trying times.

Personally, I am grateful for the gift of life that God grants me each day.

I am grateful for my fellow South African medical, police and armed forces professionals putting their lives on the line to save thousands during the COVID-19 lockdown.

I’m grateful for an incredible team at Eiffel Corp who are creating, innovating and putting educators in the digital space first, who are doing their best in the face of new challenges.

I am grateful for my family’s love and support, my health, and that I am privileged to have a job.

I am grateful for my awesome company Eiffel Corp that allows me to live my passion.

I am grateful to work in an industry where I can work remotely.

I am grateful to be healthy and still be very optimistic about the future.

I am grateful that I work for an organisation that is able to help educators and learners through the use of innovative ideas during the lockdown.

I am grateful that I married my best friend with a great sense of humour and he is the person I am “stuck with” during the lockdown.

I am grateful for the gift of life, we often take for granted that just waking up in the morning is a huge blessing.

I am grateful to work in an industry that touches lives in such an influential manner every day and we do so with the utmost care and pride.

Grateful for health.

Grateful to work in an open-minded environment.

I am grateful to be working for a company with extraordinary people with such willpower to grow and overcome and any obstacle.

I am so grateful that my son and I get to spend so much more quality time together now. Making the most of the situation. 😊

I’m grateful that during such difficult times, I am still able to make a positive contribution to the world using technology.

Personally, I am SUPER grateful for my family and friends.

I am grateful to be working in an industry that is able to support learning institutions in continuing with quality and up to date learning in these unprecedented trying times.

I am also grateful for all our first responders and essential members of society who a gracefully working through these times to keep society functioning.

I am grateful to live in such a beautifully diverse country #imstaying.

I am grateful to work in an industry, and for a company, that truly makes a positive impact on young people’s lives.

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Fighting plagiarism with Turnitin in Botswana

Plagiarism is a complex issue and a challenge at most if not all tertiary institutions. While plagiarism has always been part and parcel of tertiary institutions, the internet and access to online sources have made it easy for students to copy material into essays and assignments and claim it as their own. With so many resources available online, it has also become more difficult for lecturers to spot plagiarism.

A study at the University of Botswana had a look at the impact Turnitin had on plagiarism. While the university had measures in place to deter plagiarism, it remained a great problem and therefore they turned to Turnitin as a means to fight plagiarism.

The following lessons were learnt from this study:

  1. After introducing Turnitin at the University, plagiarism incidents dropped. There were still small incidents of plagiarism despite the new measures that Turnitin offered.
  2. While lecturers welcomed Turnitin, as it was easier to detect plagiarism, the perceptions from students were that they were being set up to fail. They wanted to acquire a degree for a better future, and Turnitin was seen as a policing tool that would prevent this.
  3. Legitimate research increased, but plagiarism still continued. Why? Students shared that they believed that they could get away with a smaller scale of cheating. Not understanding the severity of it.
  4. Students also reported that they were tempted to plagiarise because lecturers tend to give the same assignments each year.
  5. When assignments are varied and new, students are less prone to plagiarise. Another finding was that when assignments are interesting to students, they will also be less liable to cheat.
  6. Lecturers welcomed the use of Turnitin because it was helpful in quickly identifying plagiarism. But students felt that plagiarism did not have serious enough consequences.

From the above lessons, the following conclusions were drawn.

When addressing the issue of plagiarism, students should be educated on earning their degrees with honesty. They should learn that their academic efforts are important to equip themselves with the right skills for work one day. The career market is extremely competitive, and therefore when cheating to earn their degree, they may not only struggle to find a job but also to keep one.

The use of Turnitin in the fight against plagiarism should be seen as a supplementary measure to encourage students to stay on course and not used as a policing tool. While it is a useful tool to help professors detect plagiarism, it should not be equated to other rules in the institution. Rather students should see it as a tool that encourages original writing. When they do not, they are in fact stealing. In other words, plagiarism should be seen as an issue for the use of intellectual property.

In conclusion

The insight gained from the study at the University of Botswana showed that plagiarism is a complex issue, no different in Botswana. Introducing Turnitin did have a positive impact on plagiarism, with lower incidents. But plagiarism was not eliminated, which speaks to the complexity of the problem.

It also shows that a detection mechanism is not enough to solve the problem. Rather, it is a tool that helps to encourage academic integrity. Students need to understand that plagiarism does not only violate the rights of the person they are copying from, but they are also cheating themselves out of an opportunity to improve their knowledge and achieve their future career they are working for.

We asked Botho University who is also using Turnitin, to share their thoughts and experience with the software solution:

“The product is fantastic. We would recommend the Turnitin to other institutions and rate it as a worthwhile investment. Turnitin is a crucial part of Botho University’s operations. Not only is the Turnitin easy to use, but it also makes internal processes and procedures more coherent.” Professor Olumide Jaiyeoba (PhD Business Administration), Head of Department of Graduate Studies in Business and Accounting.

Source consulted: Tshepo Batane (2010) Turning to Turnitin to Fight Plagiarism among University Students. Educational Technology & Society, 13 (2), 1–12.

Interested to learn more about Turnitin?  Start your fight against plagiarism and encourage academic integrity at your institution. Get in touch with our team today. Contact marketing@eiffelcorp.co.za 

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The importance of brain health for optimal performance during a period of rapid change

All of us are experiencing a tremendous amount of pressure – working from home in new circumstances, experience a sense of grief and coming to grips with rapid change.

We are pouring our energy into work, home, children and responsibilities daily – without the usual social exchange of friends and co-workers or outdoor activities to recharge our emotional needs.

How do we optimise our brain health to perform during this period of rapid change and stressful circumstances?

  • Get enough quality sleep, establish a good sleep routine and practice sound sleeping strategies
  • Ensure that you make time to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day and apply regular movement and stretching while busy with online learning/teaching.
  • Stand up regularly and take deep breaths – this will keep you calm and assist with focus and optimal learning
  • Be constantly aware of your mindset and attitude during this period and do not entertain negative thoughts – rather work on changing your negative thoughts and emotions to positive thoughts and emotions.  You can establish new neural pathways by practising this on a daily basis.  Choose to find purpose and meaning in every situation. Henry Ford said something that is very true:  “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right!”
  • Practice healthy eating habits as far as possible
  • Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily
  • Take supplements if possible – multi-vitamins, vitamin C, Omega 3, Iron, Anti-oxidants etc.
  • Increase your brain fitness levels by doing:
    • Cross lateral exercises
    • Mental exercises
  • Learn to laugh again – read funny jokes, laugh at yourself, watch funny videos etc.

In our Webinar (recording below), our Neurolink certified Brainwayz team we touched on the basics when it comes to understanding these drivers.

We also offered 25 free assessments to measure how your brain is performing. We are giving you one last chance to enter here  (winners will be announced on Monday).

Want to know more about our offerings? Please visit or get in touch via marketing@eiffelcorp.co.za

 

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Three tips to optimise your Campus App during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a world that we have not experienced before. While there have been pandemics such as the Spanish flu, the world we live in today is very different from the world of the early 1900s. Thanks to technology, we have never been more connected during a time where social distancing is a prerequisite for survival. While all are not equally connected to digital environments, most students have access to a smartphone. If you have a campus app or are planning to launch one, now would be the time to optimise your mobile application to be the go-to resource for students. Using an app to communicate is ideal for sharing essential information in a time where students cannot be on campus.

How do you optimise the value of your app?

Here are some tried and tested tips to optimise your campus app during COVID-19.

  1. Provide high-value content

Ensure your students have access to all they need, quickly and easily. Modo Campus app offers hundreds of out of the box modules. You can add virtually any campus resource to the app. From navigation on campus to menus, or as now needed course information, timetables, virtual classes, including your SIS and LMS.

  1. Create awareness

Building your app is one thing but making sure that all student knows where to download the app and how to use it requires proper communication in the form of marketing. Firstly, try and gain insight on how and where your audience consumes information. Would it be on social media sites? On your institution’s website? Whatsapp? Ensure they are reminded often to download the app. We will also guide you with toolkits and tips, should you decide to go the Modo App route.

  1. Personalise the student experience

Ensure your student feels that the app is useful and personal. Just like social media channels have algorithms that respond to their user community, it is important that the app responds to its user. Information needs to be timely, personalised and easy to action. Direct users to specific destinations in your app using push notifications or messaging. Create in-app banners that are relevant to specific users or modules. This helps enhance the personalised experience with contextual, relevant messages. You can also create opt-in channels that allow users to select notifications for topics and areas of interest.

Lockdown is a great time to ensure your mobile campus app is built, integrated and ready to reach your students with the information you want – on their phones.

Don’t hesitate to be smart – contact us today for more information on Modo Campus. 

Get in touch - Modo Campus

 

 

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