Wallace Chigona

Research skills are crucial in preparing students to become producers of knowledge, especially in the era of artificial intelligence and the increasing reliance on Google and artificial intelligence applications. Responding to the broader call for more diverse case studies of research in the undergraduate curriculum, we present a multi-year case study of introducing research-based learning through facilitating a self-directed learning approach in a research course in information systems in the Faculty of Commerce at a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa. In our teaching intervention we emphasised a research-based learning approach, enabling students to learn how to conduct research, rather than merely being tasked with it. The findings highlight the importance of developing a self-directed learning environment through the scaffolding of research activities, research assignments combined with written reflections, a minimally guided approach, the use of appropriate research tools, and allowing students to voice their opinions.

Aim/Purpose: The current study aimed to explore the perceptions of school stakeholders on their responsibilities towards cybersafety and to propose a cybersafety community of purpose to mitigate cybersafety challenges in marginalised schools. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of information and communication technologies in education. In the post-pandemic era, schools are increasingly using technologies in curriculum delivery, data management, and communication. The increased access to cyberspace, however, exposes schools to cyber risks and cyberattacks. Methodology: The study employed a qualitative exploratory methodology using case studies of four marginalised schools located in the Western Cape and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. We collected the data via semi-structured interviews of thirty participants who were stakeholders in a school context, including learners, educators, social workers, parents, and community leaders. Data analysis was based on an inductive approach with themes derived from data and the literature review. Contribution: Using the social-ecological framework, the study showed that effective cybersafety is an ecological phenomenon that requires the understanding and involvement of individuals, the family of learners, and the school, in a community context. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by suggesting a bottom-up cybersafety community of purpose activity system for marginalised schools. Such a cybersafety community of purpose activity system would allow stakeholders to work together to gather resources and acquire actions that would lead to a cybersafe and cyber resilient school environment as an outcome. The activity system highlights the interrelationships between school stakeholders as they use cyberspace and how they can achieve the required outcomes, the family of learners, and the school, in a community context. Findings: The findings of the study indicate that there is a disconnection in terms of cybersafety among school stakeholders in marginalised schools. There is a lack of clarity among stakeholders in terms of who is responsible for cybersecurity in the school context. Recommendations for Practitioners: We propose that a bottom-up cybersafety community of purpose within an activity system would be an effective way to ensure the safety of school stakeholders as they use cyberspace. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should implement the cybersafety community of purpose activity system in marginalised schools to determine its effectiveness. Impact on Society: A cybersafety community of purpose would bring together all stakeholders within a school context, leading to effective cybersafety initiatives for a positive cybersecurity culture and cyber resilience within a school context. Future Research: Future studies should adopt a design science approach to create and implement the cybersafety community of purpose activity system to determine its effectiveness.

The unprecedented rise in cybercrimes has become a global concern. Government agencies across the globe are now faced with the task of protecting internet users and securing national critical infrastructures. However, government agencies in developing countries are already facing political, social and economic challenges, which have a detrimental impact on cybersecurity. Cybersecurity capacity building is thus one of the key measures that are used to capacitate and empower individuals, societies, and nations to enhance their cyber resilience. Different cybersecurity capacity-building interventions are being developed to empower internet users and cybersecurity actors and/or practitioners to improve cybersecurity posture in many parts of developing countries. The current study therefore sought to understand how government agencies in developing countries evaluate cybersecurity capacity-building outcomes. This will inform policymakers and developmental partners in improving cybersecurity evaluation techniques. We used an inductive approach to theory, and purposive and snowball sampling to select 23 participants from eight government institutions in Malawi tasked with the development and implementation of cybersecurity strategy and cybersecurity education, awareness, and training. The study adopted an interpretive approach. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The findings showed that, at the time of this research, government agencies did not use any cybersecurity-specific evaluation techniques. At the time, government agencies were using existing evaluation techniques, which we refer to in this paper as ‘generic evaluation techniques. The study found that the existing evaluation techniques are inadequate in capturing the effectiveness of the existing cybersecurity capacity-building initiatives. Most government agencies use informal evaluation techniques, for instance, observations as a means of evaluating outcomes.