Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in graphic design in higher education, South Africa
Thesis MA (VA) --Stellenbosch University, 2026.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1869484204772818944 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Du Plessis, Mia |
| author2 | Stockhall, Rosalind Grey |
| author_browse | Du Plessis, Mia Stockhall, Rosalind Grey |
| author_facet | Stockhall, Rosalind Grey Du Plessis, Mia |
| author_sort | Du Plessis, Mia |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis MA (VA) --Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135769 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-07-01T04:11:11.018Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135769 Reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in graphic design in higher education, South Africa Du Plessis, Mia Stockhall, Rosalind Grey Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts. Graphic arts -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa Blended learning -- South Africa Experiential learning -- South Africa Decolonization -- Study and teaching -- South Africa Universities and colleges -- South Africa UCTD Thesis MA (VA) --Stellenbosch University, 2026. Du Plessis, M. 2026. Reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in Graphic Design in Higher Education, South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/6506e757-0064-46a9-9cc9-a71aef807d7d ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During my time as a Graphic Design educator at a private institution of higher education in the Western Cape, South Africa, I noticed a trend of Eurocentric-inspired approaches being applied to an industry-led practical brief among Graphic Design students. In a post-colonial, post-apartheid South Africa, this trend was concerning, as it reflected a reiteration of neo-colonial narratives in graphic design education. I was able to explore this trend further by investigating the blended learning model for graphic design education at the private institution of higher education and exploring approaches to embodied learning and decoloniality in the online component of the model. Theoretical perspectives on decolonial theory and learning theory informed the research. Decolonial theory in the context of pedagogy in post-apartheid South Africa was studied to establish the importance of a decolonial approach in higher education in South Africa. Through a situative perspective on learning, the role of a community of inquiry (CoI) framework in the blended learning model for graphic design education was linked to embodied learning and utilised to promote a pedagogy of care in the online component of the blended learning model. The notion of embodied learning was challenged through questioning its role and execution in the blended mode of delivery. The theoretical framework of the study informed the primary objective of establishing how a situative perspective on embodied learning could promote decolonial approaches to graphic design education in the online component of the blended learning model. To conduct the study, an empirical and mixed-methods approach was utilised, which included an interpretative questionnaire for staff, multiple semi-structured group interviews with students and an analysis of a practical student brief using the CoI framework. The data revealed three primary findings: first, that a disconnect exists between students and educators due to different assumptions about the approach to the online component of the blended learning model; second, that decolonial approaches are challenged through a lack of intentional online communities in the blended mode of delivery; and third, that the CoI framework could provide a valuable structure for the development and facilitation of graphic design education in the blended learning model. The study has revealed valuable insights into current approaches to higher education for graphic design education through blended learning. Implications from the findings include suggestions to utilise technological tools to create online spaces that build community among Graphic Design students, and to establish communities of practice that address institutional culture and approaches to graphic design education. Lastly, educational institutions that offer Graphic Design at a tertiary level are encouraged to challenge industry norms, rather than adhere to them. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In my werk as Grafiese Ontwerp-opvoeder by ʼn privaat hoëronderwysinstelling in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, het ek ʼn neiging tot Eurosentries-geïnspireerde benaderings tot ʼn bedryfsgedrewe praktiese opdrag onder Grafiese Ontwerp-studente waargeneem. In ʼn postkoloniale, postapartheid-Suid-Afrika is hierdie neiging kommerwekkend, want dit weerspieël ʼn herhaling van neokoloniale narratiewe in die onderrig van grafiese ontwerp. Ek het hierdie neiging verder verken deur die gemengde leermodel vir die onderrig van grafiese ontwerp by die privaat hoëronderwysinstelling en benaderings tot beliggaamde leer en dekolonialiteit in die aanlyn komponent van die model te ondersoek. Die navorsing is gerig deur teoretiese perspektiewe van dekoloniale teorie en leerteorie. Dekoloniale teorie in die konteks van pedagogie in postapartheid-Suid-Afrika is bestudeer om die belang van ʼn dekoloniale benadering in hoër onderwys in Suid-Afrika te bepaal. Deur ʼn situasiespesifieke perspektief van leer is die rol van ʼn raamwerk vir ʼn gemeenskap van ondersoek in die gemengde leermodel vir onderrig in grafiese ontwerp gekoppel aan beliggaamde leer en gebruik om ʼn pedagogie van omgee in die aanlyn komponent van die model te bevorder. Die idee van beliggaamde leer is aangeveg deur die rol en uitvoering daarvan in die gemengde onderrigmodus te bevraagteken. Die teoretiese raamwerk van die studie is gerig deur die primêre doelstelling om te bepaal hoe ʼn situasiespesifieke perspektief van beliggaamde leer dekoloniale benaderings tot die onderrig van grafiese ontwerp in die aanlyn komponent van ʼn gemengde leermodel kan bevorder. ʼn Empiriese en gemengdemetode-benadering is in hierdie studie gebruik, wat ʼn verklarende vraelys vir personeel, veelvuldige semigestruktureerde groepsonderhoude met studente en ʼn ontleding van ʼn praktiese opdrag aan die hand van die raamwerk vir ʼn gemeenskap van ondersoek ingesluit het. Die data het drie primêre bevindinge aan die lig gebring: eerstens, dat daar ʼn skeiding tussen studente en opvoeders is weens verskillende aannames oor die benadering tot die aanlyn komponent van die gemengde leermodel; tweedens, dat dekoloniale benaderings belemmer word deur ʼn gebrek aan internasionale aanlyn gemeenskappe in die gemengde onderrigmodus; en derdens, dat die raamwerk vir ʼn gemeenskap van ondersoek ʼn waardevolle struktuur kan bied vir die ontwikkeling en fasilitering van onderrig in grafiese ontwerp in die gemengde leermodel. Die studie het waardevolle insigte gebied in huidige benaderings tot hoër onderwys vir onderrig in grafiese ontwerp deur gemengde leer. Implikasies uit die bevindinge sluit in voorstelle om tegnologiese instrumente te gebruik om aanlyn ruimtes te skep wat ʼn gemeenskap onder Grafiese Ontwerp-studente ontwikkel en om praktykgemeenskappe te vestig wat institusionele kultuur en benaderings tot die onderrig van grafiese ontwerp onder die loep neem. Laastens word opvoedkundige instellings wat Grafiese Ontwerp op tersiêre vlak aanbied aangemoedig om bedryfsnorme aan te veg, eerder as om dit slaafs na te volg. Masters 2026-04-10T06:20:33Z 2026-04-10T06:20:33Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135769 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 81 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Graphic arts -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa Blended learning -- South Africa Experiential learning -- South Africa Decolonization -- Study and teaching -- South Africa Universities and colleges -- South Africa UCTD Du Plessis, Mia Reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in graphic design in higher education, South Africa |
| title | Reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in graphic design in higher education, South Africa |
| title_full | Reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in graphic design in higher education, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in graphic design in higher education, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in graphic design in higher education, South Africa |
| title_short | Reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in graphic design in higher education, South Africa |
| title_sort | reframing embodied learning in a blended learning environment to facilitate and promote decolonial practices in graphic design in higher education south africa |
| topic | Graphic arts -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa Blended learning -- South Africa Experiential learning -- South Africa Decolonization -- Study and teaching -- South Africa Universities and colleges -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135769 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT duplessismia reframingembodiedlearninginablendedlearningenvironmenttofacilitateandpromotedecolonialpracticesingraphicdesigninhighereducationsouthafrica |