Papers by Indira Padayachee
Advances in business strategy and competitive advantage book series, 2019
Port terminals play an integral role in the transportation logistics chain by providing cargo han... more Port terminals play an integral role in the transportation logistics chain by providing cargo handling, storage, and warehousing services to a range of shipping lines, freight forwarders, and cargo owners. This chapter reports on a case study aimed at determining the challenges and limitations experienced with the current information and communication technology used in port terminals in Durban and examines how technological, organizational, and environmental factors influence port automation. A quantitative approach was adopted, and a questionnaire was designed to collect data. The findings revealed that adequate technology needs to be acquired, and the compatibility and complexity of the technology have the biggest influence on the automation of terminal ports in Durban. Communication with stakeholders and IT skills retention were found to be the most important organizational factors and customer readiness emerged as an important environmental factor influencing the automation of port terminals in Durban.
Progressio
Remote working and online learning are rapidly becoming the norm in higher education and other se... more Remote working and online learning are rapidly becoming the norm in higher education and other sectors of society. Student engagement in online learning requires enthusiasm and effort from learners, as well as a necessary supportive environment to improve learning outcomes. Understanding students’ preparedness to undertake online learning is crucial to the successful usage of online learning in the post-Covid-19 era. This article discusses empirical results of psychological readiness, amongst others, of students to use online learning in a university environment for success. The study that directed this article was conducted amongst 400 undergraduate students in the School of Management, Information Technology and Governance (SMIG) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), employing a descriptive research design and convenience-based purposeful sampling. Analysis of data revealed evidential areas relating to psychological readiness for online learning that may require support inter...
In higher education institutions, virtual learning systems (VLSs) have been adopted, and are beco... more In higher education institutions, virtual learning systems (VLSs) have been adopted, and are becoming increasingly popular among educators. However, despite this ubiquity of VLS use, there has not been widespread change in pedagogic practice to take advantage of the functionality afforded by VLSs. Knowledge of the actual usage of e-learning systems is limited in terms of what specific feature sets are deemed useful, and how this influences system usage. VLSs have a suite of tools with associated functions/features and properties, as well as non-functional system characteristics. In addition, these systems incorporate pedagogic features to cater for online teaching. Educators in higher education, who are the chief agents of e-learning, are confounded by system-related, pedagogic, organisational, user difference and demographic factors that influence VLS usage. Virtual learning system usage involves system feature usage extent and frequency, total system usage and usage clusters. The aim of this study is to develop a model representing the factors that influence usage of VLSs in higher education. The links between system usage and system-related factors, pedagogic factors, organisational factors, user-difference and demographic factors is researched. This research incorporated a literature study, a pilot study, interviews and surveys. A case study research strategy was combined with a mixed methods research design. The results of the qualitative analysis was triangulated with the findings of the quantitative analysis and compared to the findings of the literature study. The study was conducted at two residential higher education institutions (HEI), namely,
Progressio
The Covid-19 (acronym for the coronavirus disease of 2019) pandemic has signalled significance fo... more The Covid-19 (acronym for the coronavirus disease of 2019) pandemic has signalled significance for online teaching and learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) both locally and internationally. This article reports on an empirically approved study that aimed to assess students’ digital readiness for online learning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. The article presents the main areas examined to assess intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing students’ online readiness with respect to their technical requirements; engagement with learning tools and resources; digital readiness; and satisfaction with the Moodle (acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) online learning tool. Understanding students’ online learning readiness was deemed necessary for assisting UKZN in understanding such interventions and making improvements. The study drew on 400 students’ responses to a descriptive research design questionnaire to collect data ...
EdMedia + Innovate Learning, Jul 6, 2021
This dissertation proposes a generic methodology for evaluating intelligent tutoring systems (ITS... more This dissertation proposes a generic methodology for evaluating intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), and applies it to the evaluation of the SQL-Tutor, an ITS for the database language SQL. An examination of the historical development, theory and architecture of intelligent tutoring systems, as well as the theory, architecture and behaviour ofthe SQL-Tutor sets the context for this study. The characteristics and criteria for evaluating computer-aided instruction (CAl) systems are considered as a background to an in-depth investigation of the characteristics and criteria appropriate for evaluating ITSs. These criteria are categorised along internal and external dimensions with the internal dimension focusing on the intrinsic features and behavioural aspects of ITSs, and the external dimension focusing on its educational impact. Several issues surrounding the evaluation of ITSs namely, approaches, methods, techniques and principles are examined, and integrated within a framework for assessing the added value of ITS technology for instructional purposes.
International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, 2022
The usage of Web 2.0 tools in education affords many benefits, which include increased access to ... more The usage of Web 2.0 tools in education affords many benefits, which include increased access to educational resources, and the ability to collaboratively create and use content. Despite the benefits of Web 2.0 tools in higher education, the technology has not been widely used by academics in South Africa. Thus, the purpose of this research is to investigate the extent of usage and the factors that play a role in the usage of Web 2.0 tools among academics at two South African higher education institutions. A case study research strategy was adopted to fulfil the objectives of the study. This paper reports on the quantitative approach used to conduct the study. A questionnaire was administered to collect data from the target population. The results revealed that individual factors, organisational factors, perceived usefulness and perceived quality characteristics are significant predictors to the usage of Web 2.0 tools. The study has practical implications for academic stakeholders i...
PONTE International Scientific Researches Journal, 2020
Journal of Contemporary Management, 2016
Cloud computing is considered an important virtualisation technology that uses the Internet and r... more Cloud computing is considered an important virtualisation technology that uses the Internet and remote servers to offer on-demand resources. While there have been several studies on the factors influencing the adoption of information systems by organisations, there has been little attention given to the adoption and usage of cloud computing by SMEs in South Africa, and perceptions on the benefits and challenges of this technology. SMEs face various challenges ranging from the high cost to deploy resources, maintenance of hardware, and the ability to compete globally. This study investigates SMEs in the IT sector located within the province of Gauteng, to assess the extent of adoption and usage of cloud computing services, and to ascertain their perceptions on the benefits and risks associated with cloud computing. A survey research strategy was adopted, and a sample of forty-two respondents participated in the study, with each respondent representing an IT SME. The findings indicate...
International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2021
South African Computer Journal, 2017
In higher education institutions, digital learning environments, referred to as virtual learning ... more In higher education institutions, digital learning environments, referred to as virtual learning systems in this article, have been adopted and are becoming increasingly popular among academics. A virtual learning system (VLS) has a suite of tools with associated functions and non-functional system characteristics. Higher education institutions (HEIs) implement a VLS with the intent to assimilate e-Learning with face-to-face instruction and thereby derive associated benefits from its usage. Currently there is limited information on educators’ perceptions on the usefulness of VLS tool functionality, and the importance assigned to non-functional characteristics. This article adapted the generic framework of the ISO 9126 external software quality model to ascertain the perceptions of educators with regards to VLS functionality and non-functional quality characteristics. A case study research strategy was adopted, using two South African higher education institutions. The main contribut...
Advances in Information Security, Privacy, and Ethics
Social engineering refers to the art of using deception and manipulating individuals to gain acce... more Social engineering refers to the art of using deception and manipulating individuals to gain access to systems or information assets and subsequently compromising these systems and information assets. Information security must provide protection to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. In order to mitigate information security's weakest link, it becomes necessary to understand the ways in which human behavior can be exploited via social engineering. This chapter will seek to analyze the role of social engineering in information security breaches and the factors that contribute to its success. A variety of social engineering attacks, impacts, and mitigations will be discussed. Human factors such as trust, obedience, and fear are easily exploited, thereby allowing social engineers to execute successful attacks. However, with effective countermeasures such as information security awareness training, education, and audit procedures, the impacts of social engineering can be decreased or eliminated altogether.
Journal of Contemporary Management, 2019
The alignment of IT strategy and business strategy is an ongoing topic of interest for many resea... more The alignment of IT strategy and business strategy is an ongoing topic of interest for many researchers. In the same vein, there is a continuing research interest by practitioners in the field of Business Process Reengineering (BPR). BPR is commonly understood as a radical rethinking and redesign of business processes. The existing literature considers these two topics separately in the context of developed countries. This study taps into this gap by investigating how IT-business alignment can be achieved within BPR by considering the influential factors that drive this alignment in large organisations in Lesotho. A qualitative approach was adopted to fulfill the objective of the study. The research design used for the study was a case study approach and three large organisations in Lesotho constituted the three cases for the study. Interviews were used as the primary data collection technique.The study empirically focussed on placing IT-business strategic alignment within the context of BPR. The study revealed that alignment factors should be considered during a BPR project and that IT-business alignment plays a pivotal role in the success or failure of a BPR project. In addition, business process change management was identified as an additional alignment factor influencing IT-business alignment. Future studies can also assess whether business processes change management can facilitate alignment between IT and the business.
This dissertation proposes a generic methodology for evaluating intelligent tutoring systems (ITS... more This dissertation proposes a generic methodology for evaluating intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), and applies it to the evaluation of the SQL-Tutor, an ITS for the database language SQL. An examination of the historical development, theory and architecture of intelligent tutoring systems, as well as the theory, architecture and behaviour ofthe SQL-Tutor sets the context for this study. The characteristics and criteria for evaluating computer-aided instruction (CAl) systems are considered as a background to an in-depth investigation of the characteristics and criteria appropriate for evaluating ITSs. These criteria are categorised along internal and external dimensions with the internal dimension focusing on the intrinsic features and behavioural aspects of ITSs, and the external dimension focusing on its educational impact. Several issues surrounding the evaluation of ITSs namely, approaches, methods, techniques and principles are examined, and integrated within a framework for assessing the added value of ITS technology for instructional purposes.
South African Computer Journal, 2015
In higher education institutions various VLSs have been formally adopted to support online teachi... more In higher education institutions various VLSs have been formally adopted to support online teaching and learning. However, there has been little research on patterns of VLS use among educators. The purpose of the research was to provide a descriptive analysis of VLS feature usage, and associated challenges at two South African higher education institutions. A case study research strategy was adopted, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis. Survey findings revealed four clusters of VLS feature usage, namely, communication, management, content and pedagogic. Analysis showed that the ‘content cluster’ was used more than the other clusters. The average usage of the ‘pedagogic cluster’ for Durban University of Technology (DUT) was significantly greater than that of University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), which tentatively indicates that staff development seems to be an important aspect of VLS usage. There was no significant difference in the usage o...
The advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web has revolutionised practices in business, gover... more The advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web has revolutionised practices in business, government, health, and education amongst others. In education, the Internet and World Wide Web opened new doors for teaching and learning, thereby affording educators an opportunity to deploy new teaching, learning and administration strategies and affording learners a rich learning experience. In South African higher education institutions, course management systems (CMSs) have been adopted, and are becoming increasingly ...
The Southern African Computer Lecturers' Association, University of Pretoria, South Africa, 2010
Universities and technical institutes in a developing country like South Africa are faced with th... more Universities and technical institutes in a developing country like South Africa are faced with the challenge of adopting and embracing a course management system (CMS) to implement elearning. Course management systems are interactive systems that enable educators, with minimal technology expertise to design, develop and deliver e-learning content as well as measure the outcome of e-learning courses [26]. This class of software will allow these higher education institutions to stay abreast of latest educational ...
A model representing the factors that influence virtual learning system usage in higher education... more A model representing the factors that influence virtual learning system usage in higher education Page ii In higher education institutions, virtual learning systems (VLSs) have been adopted, and are becoming increasingly popular among educators. However, despite this ubiquity of VLS use, there has not been widespread change in pedagogic practice to take advantage of the functionality afforded by VLSs. Knowledge of the actual usage of e-learning systems is limited in terms of what specific feature sets are deemed useful, and how this influences system usage. VLSs have a suite of tools with associated functions/features and properties, as well as non-functional system characteristics. In addition, these systems incorporate pedagogic features to cater for online teaching. Educators in higher education, who are the chief agents of e-learning, are confounded by system-related, pedagogic, organisational, user difference and demographic factors that influence VLS usage. Virtual learning sy...
International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development
ICT-Based Assessment, Methods, and Programs in Tertiary Education
Virtual learning systems (VLSs), commonly referred to as learning or course management systems, h... more Virtual learning systems (VLSs), commonly referred to as learning or course management systems, have been formally adopted at many higher education institutions. However, knowledge of the actual usage of VLSs is limited in terms of what specific functional and non-functional characteristics are deemed useful and how this influences system usage. Furthermore, little is known about the role of other non-system-related factors related to VLS usage, such as pedagogic, organisational, and individual difference factors. This chapter proposes and describes the virtual learning system usage model (VLSUM), which represents the factors influencing VLS usage in higher education institutions. The VLSUM is based on a conceptual framework integrating multiple dimensions and is confirmed by the results of an empirical study. A mixed-methods research design was adopted in the development of the VSLUM. This model is valuable to educational technologists, instructional designers, and software designe...
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Papers by Indira Padayachee