University of Johannesburg University of Johannesburg

Sophiatown was once the cultural hub of South Africa; a small place with a big heart. After being demolished, the remembrance of this vibrant cultural heritage site remains alive in the minds of those that once visited. But can this vibrance be recreated in virtual reality? This is what Izak Potgieter will explore in their PhD Study.

Cloudebate podcast series: Using the Metaverse for Education

Hosted by Dr Herman Myburgh
Senior Lecturer
Institute of Intelligent Systems

Our guest is Prof. Umesh Ramnarain
HOD: Department of Science and Technology Education
Faculty of Education

Discussing the use case of Metaverse technology in the Education space.

This year’s Cloudebate™ series will focus on the hugely important topic: What is blockchain technology, and how can Africa leverage this technology? Some of the items discussed in the podcast interview will be the following:
• What is the simple explanation for the man/woman on the street “ What is blockchain technology”
• How can Africa leverage this technology moving forward into the future
• What are the opportunities presented by this technology in the Education space ?
• Should governments be supporting this technology or be aware of it in terms of regulations and law?

UJ COLLABORATORS:
Although several partners from South Africa, the United Kingdom and Uganda formed part of this project, for the purpose of this podcast, we would like to report on the UJ-related leg of this project. The collaborators on the UJ section of this project comprised of
• Dr Anica Zeyen (PI) (Royal Holloway University of London and research associate of UJ),
• Prof Heidi Lourens (team leader) (Department of Psychology, University of Johannesburg),
• three research assistants namely, Dr Michelle Botha (Stellenbosch University), Dr Emma McKinney (University of the Western Cape) & Dr Vic McKinney.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT:
During the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, much emphasis is placed on medical vulnerability and less on its social impact on people. This is particularly the case for disabled people. The impact on disabled people goes beyond a risk of infection and can negatively influence their (long-term) wellbeing. To address this need, this project aimed to understand the non-medical impacts of COVID19 on disabled people in South Africa and Uganda.
Three co-ethnographers collected ethnographic data from three disabled South African participants (9 ethnographies altogether). These accounts included an entry interview of about two hours, diary keeping by participants for 2-months and then exit interviews of about 1-1.5 hours. This rich qualitative data allowed us to gain deep insights into how the pandemic has impacted the lieves of disabled people within South Africa.
In addition to the qualitative data mentioned above, a disabled artist – Mr Surprise Khoza – is currently painting a representation of disabled persons’ experiences during the COVID19 pandemic. He is painting with acrylic paint in order to provide a tactile representation for visually impaired persons.

The podcast discusses contemporary threats to the pursuit of truth. One of these threats is the unreflective acceptance of (what might be termed) a neo-colonial pseudo-moral framework that ahistorically, parochially, and dogmatically imposes its values upon former colonies.

Having this conversation is Dr Asheel, a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and his guest is Mark Oppenheimer. Mark is a practicing advocate and member of the Johannesburg Bar. He has appeared in the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court in a series of cases that seek to determine the boundary between freedom of expression and genuine hate speech. Mark has also authored submissions to Parliament on hate speech and expropriation without compensation.

The global onset of COVID-19 has resulted in substantial public health and socioeconomic impacts. An immediate medical breakthrough is needed. However, parallel to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic is the proliferation of information regarding the pandemic, which, if uncontrolled, cannot only mislead the public but also hinder the concerted efforts of relevant stakeholders in mitigating the effect of this pandemic. It is known that media communications can affect public perception and attitude toward medical treatment, vaccination, or subject matter, particularly when the population has limited knowledge on the subject. Objective: This study attempts to systematically scrutinize media communications (Google News headlines or snippets and Twitter posts) to understand the prevailing sentiments regarding COVID-19 vaccines in Africa.