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21 June 2018 Photo Oteng Mpete
Education researcher tackles realities of Fourth Industrial Revolution
Dr Makeresemese Qhosola recently engaged audiences in New York at the American Educational Research Association’s Annual Conference.
The current research of Dr Makeresemese Qhosola, from the University of the Free State’s (UFS), Faculty of Education focused on a broad theme of accounting and its alignment to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. She is passionate about it because the role of accounting has evolved over the years in response to ever-changing market demands. It evolved from the First Industrial Revolution, which focused on the size of a factory, machinery and the labour force, and now it is concerned with the looming era of artificial intelligence and the internet of things.

Tackling the present for future solutions  
Dr Qhosola’s research is important because it interrogates the past to find solutions for the future. “The curriculum of South Africa is still challenged by the imperatives of the Third Industrial Revolution which saw the automation of the accounting process and other business processes in isolation from each other. This challenge is born of historical factors that are still inherent in the contemporary, like poverty in most South African communities, and a lack of infrastructure and resources that supported this industry and demanded learners be taught automated accounting like Pastel.
 
“Even though learners are mostly exposed to the basic knowledge and skill of accounting from schools, many of them seem to be dysfunctional when they join the world of work, due to a lack of knowledge and experience of the computerised systems,” purported Dr Qhosola.
 
Her research methodology is the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach and is supported with the use of the Critical Accounting Research (CAR). “I use it as my lens of choice for framing my project, because its purpose is to ensure the use of accounting does not represent a certain interest at the expense of others, especially marginalised groups,” said Dr Qhosola.
 
Future of accounting looks good
“The question remains: ‘How do we better prepare ourselves for this revolution that seems capable of rendering many accounting jobs redundant?’ We must thoroughly prepare our students for the job market after the completion of their studies.” 
 
Dr Qhosola owes her recent success to Prof Loyiso Jita, Dean of the UFS Faculty of Education. “He initiated a mentorship programme for black women in 2017 and it has created a platform for me to go out and learn more,” she said. She also holds former UFS Dean of Education, Prof Sechaba Mahlomaholo close to her heart, because of his continued mentorship and support through the world of academia. 

International recognition and achievement 
Dr Qhosola was recently invited to the American Educational Research Association (AERA), in New York. The AERA strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good.
 
The conference provides an opportunity to learn about new developments and current issues that require the attention of researchers. It is also a good platform to meet educational proponents and theorists from across the globe. “We read and use their work almost every day and never get an opportunity to meet them and really interact with them,” said Dr Qhosola.
 
A proposal acceptance from AERA is a recognised disciplinary achievement. The AERA conference is a highly competitive peer review process because there are 12 000 to 14 000 proposals a year that compete for a slot on the conference programme. These numbers include both experienced and beginner researchers. 

News Archive

Ensure your place at the UFS
2010-10-27

The University of the Free State (UFS) appeals to all prospective South African students who want to come and study at the UFS in 2011 to submit their applications no later than Tuesday, 30 November 2010.

The UFS is aware of the fact that learners will not have received their final Grade 12 results by Tuesday, 30 November 2010; therefore provisional admission will be granted based on learners’ most recent Grade 12 results. Final admission will take place upon receipt of the final Grade 12 results, which will be available early in January 2011.

Prospective students can obtain application forms for admission at the following places:

  1. The UFS’s web site at www.ufs.ac.za,
  2. The Information Office (Unit for Prospective Students) at the Thakaneng Bridge on the UFS’s Main Campus in Bloemfontein,
  3. You may also send an e-mail to info@ufs.ac.za or
  4. Phone 051 401 3000 and the necessary forms will be posted to you.

Senior undergraduate students (that is all students who were registered up to and during 2010 at the UFS) as well as post-graduate students, must self-register electronically on-line from Monday, 1 November 2010 until Tuesday, 4 January 2011. This includes master’s and doctoral students.

In order to encourage senior students to register online, the UFS offers 20 laptops as incentives for the senior students who successfully register online from 1 November 2010. These laptops will be handed over to the winners after the registration process in 2011.

Registration of first-year students:

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, will welcome first-year students on Friday, 14 January and Saturday, 15 January 2011, respectively, in the Callie Human Centre. The Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences, the Humanities and Education will be welcomed on 14 January 2011 and the students of the Faculties of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Law and Theology shall be welcomed on 15 January 2011. The compulsory orientation programme for new first-years will also then commence.

From 17 to 21 January 2011 first-year students will receive academic advice at the Callie Human Centre, whereafter they will be referred for self-registration. These processes will take place according to the set timetable. This timetable is available in the Kovsie Guide that will be sent to learners as soon as we have received their applications, as well as on the web site of the UFS at www.ufs.ac.za/register2011.

First-year students’ fees must be paid prior to arrival on 14 and 15 January 2011.

Registration of senior students:

Senior students who experience problems with the electronic on-line self-registration process have the opportunity to resolve problems within a programme on campus from Wednesday, 5 January until Wednesday, 12 January 2011. This programme will be sent out to students and is also available at www.ufs.ac.za/register2011. The specific scheduled day for senior students to resolve problems is the last and only day to resolve the problem.

Senior students can also contact 051 401 9111 for more information in this regard.

Students may register for prescribed modules for 2011, even though the November 2010 examination results are not yet available. Changes resulting from examination results that are made available later can be done up to and including 28 January 2011.

In terms of applications for senior students, only students who have interrupted a calendar year of study need to re-apply for admission.

Registration of students at the UFS’s Qwaqwa Campus:

Senior and first-year students of the UFS’s Qwaqwa Campus register from Wednesday, 12 January until Friday, 28 January 2011 in the Nelson Mandela Hall on this campus.

Registration of students at the UFS South Campus:

First-year students from the UFS’s South Campus in the University Preparation Programme and the Extended Programme (only Natural and Agricultural Sciences) register from Monday, 24 January till Friday, 28 January 2011 in the Arena Hall on the South Campus.

Students who have successfully completed the University Preparation Programme register with the first-year students on the UFS Main Campus on Friday, 14 and Saturday, 15 January 2011 – according to faculties (cf. paragraph 6).

Lectures for all students shall commence on Monday, 24 January 2011.

MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (actg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za
26 October 2010

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