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21 April 2023 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Charl Devenish
Dr Rouxan Fouche
Dr Rouxan Fouché on stage in the Callie Human Centre during his graduation ceremony. He hopes his PhD findings will be used to improve the UFS’s Information Technology Service-Learning (ITSL) project’s effectiveness.

When Dr Rouxan Fouché decided to undertake a PhD in Computer Science and Informatics, he was motivated by his commitment to addressing the digital divide in South Africa through service-learning. Through his research, he investigated how the UFS’s Information Technology Service-Learning (ITSL) project could be improved by collaboration with all project stakeholders to positively address and impact the digital divide in the local Mangaung community.

Dr Fouché is a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics at the University of the Free State (UFS) and received his PhD during the UFS’s April 2023 graduation ceremonies. 

He based his PhD thesis, titled ‘Addressing the South African Digital Divide through a community-informed strategy for Service-Learning: A Critical Utopian Action Research (CUAR) Approach’, on the service-learning module he taught after he realised the positive effect of an information technology-focussed service-learning module on computer literacy levels in the local community. “The initial goal of the service-learning module was to provide free computer literacy training to computer-illiterate community members as part of the students’ community engagement,” Dr Fouché said. 

Community-focused PhD research

According to Dr Fouché researchers have recently started looking at how universities can use their service-learning modules (as part of community engagement) to bridge and address the digital divide. He also believes “current conceptualisations indicate that most university service-learning endeavours are organised without engaging with the local community or incorporating their specific needs.”

This is where he hopes his research and findings could make a difference.

His study aimed to re-evaluate and revise the ITSL project by using a hands-on, collaborative approach which included all ITSL project stakeholders. Members of the community served by the project were involved in the shared decision-making and knowledge sharing. “Furthermore, the short-term and lasting impacts of this revised community needs-led ITSL project on the participating community members were investigated.” 

The study was conducted in three cycles: Cycle 1 constituted a survey approach to identify the concerns and possible shortcomings of the ITSL project. In Cycle 2, all stakeholders participated in a ‘Future-Creating Workshop’, which reviewed findings from Cycle 1, and a utopian action plan was developed by all involved. Cycle 3 saw the revised project being implemented based on all the recommendations from the previous cycle. “This cycle also included the evaluation of the project’s immediate impact using pre-test and post-test questionnaires completed by project participants.” 

Service-learning project made a difference

When Dr Fouché initiated the ITSL project in 2015, the main objective was to serve and equip Mangaung and surrounding communities with necessary computer literacy skills. The programme entails training in Microsoft Word and Excel via two short learning programmes.

The impact of the programme was far-reaching, as it enabled participants to gain formal employment. “The participants told me that they were able to find employment as service station attendants, administrative clerks, and cashiers, among other roles, due to the computer literacy certificates they received after completing the ITSL project.” Witnessing the positive impact of the ITSL programme led Dr Fouché to focus his PhD research on improving the service-learning offerings the UFS provides for the community. 

“I realised that it was necessary to investigate how the ITSL project could be improved and tailor-made for the community it serves,” he said. 

News Archive

Armentum and Emily take honours in first combined SingOff attempt
2017-08-24

Description: SingOff Tags: McDonald's SingOff, Emily Hobhouse, Armentum, Villa Bravado, Harmony, Soetdoring, Vishuis 

Emily and Armentum were crowned as best combined group,
and were also the overall winners of the 2017 McDonald's
SingOff finals.  Photo: Johan Roux


A few months before the McDonald's SingOff finals, they almost didn’t have a group. But on 19 August 2017, Emily Hobhouse and Armentum were the big winners in the Kovsie Church.
In the second annual SingOff – with many new additions – combined serenade groups could take part for the first time. Emily and Armentum were crowned best combined group, and were the overall winners. Armentum followed up their 2016 performance when they won their first ever serenade competition as best male residence.
According to Tato Mpeteng, RC Arts and Culture of Armentum, the praise must go to Zoë Adonis. “She is a Music student and the RC Arts and Culture of Emily. She was our coach. She didn’t ask for any fee, and we put her under a lot of stress. She sacrificed a lot,” he says.

“We almost didn’t have a SingOff group two months ago, because we didn’t have participants.”
Villa Bravado was the best male residence and finished second overall, while Kagiso was second in the combined group category. Harmony took the honours as best female group, with Soetdoring the runners-up. Vishuis was the second-best male residence. 

Click here for a highlights video of the 2017 McDonald’s Bloemfontein SingOff Competition.
Click here to watch all the performances from this year’s SingOff Competition finals. 

SingOff 2017 results: 

Best social media campaign: Arista and Khayalami 
Best McDonald’s promo: Kagiso 
Best costume design: Harmony 
Best male soloist: Katlego (Villa Bravado) 
Best female soloist: Luthando (Emily Hobhouse) 
Most entertaining show: Villa Bravado 

Male 
Best prescribed song: Villa Bravado 
Best own composition: Vishuis 
Second place: Vishuis 
First place: Villa Bravado 

Female
Best prescribed song: Harmony 
Best own composition: Harmony 
Second place: Soetdoring 
First place: Harmony 

Combined groups
Best prescribed song: Emily and Armentum 
Best own composition: Emily and Armentum 
Second place: Kagiso 
First place: Emily and Armentum 

Overall 
Second place: Villa Bravado 
First place: Emily and Armentum

 

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