Dr Naila Nailejileji Mollel-Matodzi.
TOWARDS SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FASHION
Tanzanian born Naila Nailejileji Mollel-Matodzi obtained a Doctor: Technologiae: Fashion.
In her thesis, titled “Socio-Environmentally Friendly Framework For South African Fashion Design Entrepreneurs: An Exploratory Study,” she developed a socio-environmentally friendly framework that promotes the production of socio-environmentally friendly clothing by South African fashion design entrepreneurs.
This required her to investigate fashion design entrepreneurs’ awareness of socio-environmentally friendly fashion supply chain operations, as well as their current supply chain operations. She also investigated the clothing customers desired, socio-environmentally friendly clothing attributes, and the influence of sustainability literacy on their clothing purchases.
The most significant contribution of the research was the need to equip South African fashion design entrepreneurs with in-depth knowledge and skills in socio-environmentally friendly supply chain operations.
The study further uncovered that customers are unhappy with the look and feel attributes of socio-environmentally friendly clothes. Improving these attributes will lead to more purchases.
Her supervisor was Prof Anne Mason, Head of the Department of Design Studies. The study was co-supervised by Prof Nalini Moodley-Diar, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Design.
THE EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL GRAPHICS
Another Doctoral candidate of the Faculty is Lesotho born and bred Tsekelo Patrick Moremoholo who obtained a Doctor Technologiae: Graphic Design.
Dr Tsekelo Patrick Moremoholo.
In his thesis, titled “
The Effect Of Emotional Graphics In Multimedia Learning Material For High School Learners,” he investigated whether emotional graphics in multimedia learning, such as anthropomorphising (the attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behaviour to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena) and decorative graphics, in fact, facilitate the comprehension of dynamic and static learning material.
Previously, research in this field has reported contradictory results about emotional design as a variable to increase learning. Some studies cited that emotional design facilitates learning and motivates learners, while others reported no significant improvement in learning.
His experiments have also shown conflicting results – positive emotional graphics, in combination with learning material, may or may not contribute to learning. The most significant contribution of the study, by way of a model, explains the reasons for these contradictions. A range of internal and external variables play a role when learning with emotional graphics, while cognitive overload inhibits learning with emotional graphics.
A total of 382 learners in Grade 10 and 11 participated in two experiments. The first experiment (which involved 231 learners) tested the hypothesis that positive emotional graphics contribute to the learning process. The results indicated that, in combination with learning material, such graphics might contribute to learning. The second experiment (targeting 151 learners) – modified after examining the results of the first experiment – found no significant difference between the performance of the treatment groups. Whether presented with text-based content exclusively, or positive emotional graphics, the learners demonstrated that they could learn equally well.
The study suggests that further research on designing emotional graphics is needed for a better understanding of how learners process such graphics with a view on further optimising its appearance for learning purposes.
Emotional graphics may facilitate learning when used in multimedia learning material. However, this facilitation effect is moderated by a complex interaction between the learner, the learning material, and the graphics.
The contribution of this study is a proposed model to illustrate the variables associated with emotional graphics that have the potential to contribute to learning.
The supervisor of the study was Prof Rudi de Lange, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Arts & Design.
- During the Autumn graduation ceremonies, the Faculty of Arts & Design conferred another two Doctorates in Fashion on Kent-Onah Roseline (Integrating Eco-Fashion Into Textile And Fashion Design Education In Nigeria), and Ola-Afolayan Olubunmi (Evaluation Of Garment Fit On Development Customized Size – Chart For Full-Figured Pear-Shaped South African Woman).