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Do disabled people also vote? Electoral frameworks and voting participation in Nigeria’s 2019 elections
'If She's Pregnant, then that Means that Her Dreams Fade Away': Exploring Experiences of Adolescent Pregnancy and Motherhood in Rwanda
Usability Evaluation of Imikode Virtual Reality Game to Facilitate Learning of Object-Oriented Programming
The engineering students’ use of multiple representations in mechanics problems solving at a selected public university in Rwanda
Integrating Spirituality in Health Science Education: An Empirical Study of University Students and Lecturers
Do disabled people also vote? Electoral frameworks and voting participation in Nigeria’s 2019 elections
by Shittu, Afeez Kolawole
As voting represents the peak of citizen engagement in politics, this article assessed electoral laws and guidelines, and how they influenced the voting participation of disabled people during Nigeria’s 2019 general elections. It relied on the qualitative and quantitative methods to source data from key participants, including disabled students at the Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, Nigeria’s main training institution for disabled people. The data were subjected to descriptive statistics and contently analysed. The article revealed that beyond constitutional provisions guaranteeing equal participation of all, legislations such as the 2010 Electoral Act, where well implemented, positively influenced the voting participation of disabled people. However, challenges of braille ballot papers, transportation restriction, and stigmatization adversely affected their voting participation. The article offers recommendations for enhanced inclusion of disabled people and for closing the disability gap in future elections. Points of Interest The Electoral Act (as amended) provides opportunities for enhanced voting participation of disabled people during elections in Nigeria but majority of them are not aware of these provisions. The research found that the electoral officials did not follow all the provisions of the Electoral Act during the 2019 elections, and this affected the voting participation of many disabled people. Non-availability of brail ballot papers and sign language interpreter at the voting centers as well as restriction placed on mobility on the day of election restricted the participation of disabled people in the 2019 general elections in Nigeria. The study recommended an improvement in the implementation of the Electoral Act by the electoral officials to improve voting participation of disabled people in Nigeria. The study recommended that electoral reforms that include electronic voting system and transmission of results should be implemented and strengthened in subsequent elections in Nigeria. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
'If She's Pregnant, then that Means that Her Dreams Fade Away': Exploring Experiences of Adolescent Pregnancy and Motherhood in Rwanda
by Mwali, MM
Adolescent motherhood can alter the future opportunities available to girls and the challenges they face. This article considers how adolescents' capabilities are influenced by pregnancy and motherhood, using a mixed-methods case study of Rwanda. Adolescent motherhood impacts girls' lives across multiple capabilities including education, psychosocial well-being, voice and agency, and economic empowerment. Rarely were adolescent mothers in our sample supported to return to school, for instance. Their pregnancy and motherhood were stigmatised by their families, peers, wider community and service providers. The psychosocial consequences of adolescent motherhood are significant, linked to social isolation and multifaceted stressors, including poverty. Despite recent policy and service improvements, adolescent mothers continue to be left behind.
Usability Evaluation of Imikode Virtual Reality Game to Facilitate Learning of Object-Oriented Programming
by Muhammad Bello Aliyu
Many empirical studies have shown that educational games and recent technologies impact education and increase learning effectiveness, students’ motivation and engagement. The overall aim of this study is to evaluate the usability of Imikode, a virtual reality (VR) game that was developed to introduce the concepts of object-oriented programming to novices. The improved version of the Imikode VR game consists of three features: An artificial intelligence component designed to provide real-time error feedback to users, an intelligent agent that guides and teaches users how to play the game and finally, the integration of multiple game play that gives learners more opportunities to explore the VR environment for greater immersive learning experience. This study adopted a survey approach and recruited first-year computer science students to measure learner satisfaction with educational virtual reality games and examined the correlations among the attributes of the Usefulness, Satisfaction and Ease of Use questionnaire of usage of Imikode. The results showed that the students were satisfied with Imikode and perceived the virtual reality educational game as very useful for learning object-oriented programming concepts. In addition, there was a correlation among the questionnaire variables, which means that researchers can use the instrument for future usability studies in the context. We further proffered some design recommendations for building software tools. © 2022, The Author(s).
The engineering students’ use of multiple representations in mechanics problems solving at a selected public university in Rwanda
by Niyomufasha, Theogene
The subject of physics can sometimes seem esoteric and challenging to engineering students. It would be beneficial to create a more conducive learning environment for them by combining words, mathematical equations, graphs, and diagrams to increase their problem-solving abilities. It has been demonstrated in mechanics that employing multiple representations is an effective strategy when solving problems. This study aimed to examine engineering students’ use of multiple representations to solve mechanics problems, as well as to identify the challenges they encountered when applying this approach. The study was carried out at a public university in Rwanda. A mixed-methods research design was employed with a study population of 140 engineering students, 20 of whom were selected to be interviewed. The quantitative data were collected through achievement tests and analyzed using SPSS, and the qualitative data were also collected through a guided interview and analyzed thematically. The current study revealed that engineering students prefer to use mathematical representations rather than diagrams and graphics representations when solving mechanics problems. Additionally, the study revealed that students encountered several difficulties when applying this approach, such as difficulties visualizing abstract concepts, a lack of familiarity with different representations, and difficulties drawing free-body diagrams and interpreting them. The study suggests that efforts should be made to boost engineering students’ use of various representations in solving mechanics problems through curriculum reforms, teaching-oriented interventions, and the provision of suitable technological resources. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Integrating Spirituality in Health Science Education: An Empirical Study of University Students and Lecturers
by Susan Wanja
This research interrogates the integration of spirituality in health science education through a semi-structured survey of 23 nursing students as well as semi-structured surveys and focus group interviews conducted with seven lecturers in the school of health sciences at St. Paul’s University, Kenya. The research acknowledges the way in which the COVID pandemic has foregrounded public health issues such as stress, mental health, and trauma in the specific areas of student self-care, nursing practice, curriculum review, and faculty training and development. Conducted by a theologian and health scientist, this study utilizes an integrative model of faith and science to demonstrate the need for integrating spirituality in health science education within the context of Christian higher education. © 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
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