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07 September 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs

Two lecturers in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of the Free State (UFS) authored and presented a paper that received the best paper award at this year’s 50th Annual Conference of the Southern African Computer Lecturers’ Association (SACLA). 

SACLA is an association for academics teaching Computer Science, Information Systems, and Information Technology subjects at universities and other higher education institutions in Southern Africa. The Academy of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Johannesburg hosted the conference.

Dr Pakiso Khomokhoana, Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics, presented the paper titled Mapping the problem-solving strategies of novice programmers to Polya's framework: SWOT analysis as a bottleneck identification tool. He chose this topic because he was concerned that students (especially novices) are always encountering challenges when it comes to understanding source code and working with related problems.

Prof Liezel Nel, Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics, co-authored the paper with Dr Khomokhoana.

“When the time came to announce the best paper, my heart was panting, and I was thrilled to hear elements of my paper mentioned in preparation for the final announcement,” says Dr Khomokhoana, who reckons that the amount of work one puts into a paper is equivalent to the yield you receive in return.

He is convinced that one should feel the ‘pinch’ for whatever you do in life. Those who are studying can relate to nights spent toiling, headaches, and stressed muscles, with the pain only going away after reaching your goal. “One has to work hard in order to succeed in life,” he states.

He says that being recognised for this paper not only means that he can produce more acceptable research in the future; with the feedback received from reviewers, he can help other upcoming researchers by imparting to them the research skills he obtained over the years.

The UFS also presented a second paper at the conference. Mokotsolane Mase, Lecturer from the same department on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus, presented a paper co-authored by Prof Nel as well, titled: Common code writing errors made by novice programmers: Implications for the teaching of Introductory Programming.

Continuous excellence

The SACLA programme committee is committed to keeping papers earmarked for journal publication to a very high standard. “Since only the top papers are earmarked for journal publication, it was a great achievement to have both papers selected for inclusion in the 2021 publication,” says Prof Nel. 

However, the highlight of the conference for her was when the paper she co-authored with Dr Khomokhoana was recognised as the best paper. 

“What makes this achievement even more special, is that it is the second time in three years that Dr Khomokhoana and I have received this award (2019 and 2021). This is also the third time (since the inception of the ‘best paper award’ in 2014) that I have been the co-author of the best paper.”

“Being recognised at this level for our research in the field of Computer Science Education (CSE) is testament to the quality and importance of the research being conducted within the CSE research group of the UFS Department of Computer Science and Informatics,” she says. 

The way forward

Prof Nel believes in the potential of the CSE research group, and her goal for the next five years is to continue to expand the CSE research group within the department. 

“What I love most about this type of research is that it requires a close integration of the lecturing and research roles of academics. As educational researchers, we must reflect critically on our current teaching and learning practices and consider ways in which we can ultimately provide our students with the best possible learning experiences that will adequately prepare them for the world of work. Mentoring young academics who are interested in this field of research, is one of my biggest passions. By sharing our research at conferences (such as SACLA) and through publication in international journals, we contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning on a much broader scale,” she says. 

News Archive

Mushrooms, from gourmet food for humans to fodder for animals
2016-12-19

Description: Mushroom research photo 2 Tags: Mushroom research photo 2 

From the UFS Department of Microbial Biochemical and
Food Biotechnology are, from left: Prof Bennie Viljoen,
researcher,
MSc student Christie van der Berg,
and PhD student Christopher Rothman
Photo: Anja Aucamp

Mushrooms have so many medicinal applications that humans have a substance in hand to promote long healthy lives. And it is not only humans who benefit from these macrofungi growing mostly in dark spaces.

“The substrate applied for growing the mushrooms can be used as animal fodder. Keeping all the medicinal values intact, these are transferred to feed goats as a supplement to their daily diet,” said Prof Bennie Viljoen, researcher in the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the UFS.

Curiosity and a humble start
“The entire mushroom project started two years ago as a sideline of curiosity to grow edible gourmet mushrooms for my own consumption. I was also intrigued by a friend who ate these mushrooms in their dried form to support his immune system, claiming he never gets sick. The sideline quickly changed when we discovered the interesting world of mushrooms and postgraduate students became involved.

“Since these humble beginnings we have rapidly expanded with the financial help of the Technology Transfer Office to a small enterprise with zero waste,” said Prof Viljoen. The research group also has many collaborators in the industry with full support from a nutraceutical company, an animal feed company and a mushroom growers’ association.

Prof Viljoen and his team’s mushroom research has various aspects.

Growing the tastiest edible mushrooms possible
“We are growing gourmet mushrooms on agricultural waste under controlled environmental conditions to achieve the tastiest edible mushrooms possible. This group of mushrooms is comprised of the King, Pink, Golden, Grey, Blue and Brown Oysters. Other than the research results we have obtained, this part is mainly governed by the postgraduate students running it as a business with the intention to share in the profit from excess mushrooms because they lack research bursaries. The mushrooms are sold to restaurants and food markets at weekends,” said Prof Viljoen.

Description: Mushroom research photo 1 Tags: Mushroom research photo 1 

Photo: Anja Aucamp

Natural alternative for the treatment of various ailments
“The second entity of research encompasses the growth and application of medicinal mushrooms. Throughout history, mushrooms have been used as a natural alternative for the treatment of various ailments. Nowadays, macrofungi are known to be a source of bioactive compounds of medicinal value. These include prevention or alleviation of heart disease, inhibition of platelet aggregation, reduction of blood glucose levels, reduction of blood cholesterol and the prevention or alleviation of infections caused by bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic pathogens. All of these properties can be enjoyed by capsulation of liquid concentrates or dried powdered mushrooms, as we recently confirmed by trial efforts which are defined as mushroom nutriceuticals,” he said.

Their research focuses on six different medicinal genera, each with specific medicinal attributes:
1.    Maitake: the most dominant property exhibited by this specific mushroom is the reduction of blood pressure as well as cholesterol. Other medicinal properties include anticancer, antidiabetic and immunomodulating while it may also improve the health of HIV patients.
2.    The Turkey Tail mushroom is known for its activity against various tumours and viruses as well as its antioxidant properties.
3.    Shiitake mushrooms have antioxidant properties and are capable of lowering blood serum cholesterol (BSC). The mushroom produces a water-soluble polysaccharide, lentinan, considered to be responsible for anticancer, antimicrobial and antitumour properties.
4.    The Grey Oyster mushroom has medicinal properties such as anticholesterol, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumour and immunomodulatory properties.
5.    Recently there has been an increased interest in the Lion’s Mane mushroom which contains nerve growth factors (NGF) and may be applied as a possible treatment of Alzheimer’s disease as this compound seems to have the ability to re-grow and rebuild myelin by stimulating neurons.
6.    Reishi mushrooms are considered to be the mushrooms with the most medicinal properties due to their enhancing health effects such as treatment of cancer, as well as increasing longevity, resistance and recovery from diseases.


Description: Mushroom research photo 3 Tags: Mushroom research photo 3


Valuable entity for the agricultural sector
Another research focus is the bio-mushroom application phenome, to break down trees growing as encroaching plants. This research is potentially very valuable for the agricultural sector in the areas where Acacia is an encroaching problem. With this process, waste products are upgraded to a usable state. “It is therefore, possible to convert woody biomass with a low digestibility and limited availability of nutrients into high-quality animal fodder. By carefully selecting the right combination of fungus species to ferment agro-wastes, a whole host of advantages could become inherently part of the substrate. Mushrooms could become a biotechnological tool used to ‘inject’ the substrate that will be fed to animals with nutrition and/or medicine as the need and situation dictates,” said Prof Viljoen.

 

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