Research methodologies explored for a paradigm shift in university teaching

Innovative teaching methods such as collaborative learning, teamwork and mind maps were introduced to teach Computer Science and Statistics courses at tertiary level. This article focuses mainly on the research methods used to research the effectiveness of these teaching methodologies. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) was adapted and used to manage the research process. Both qualitative and quantitative instruments of measurement were used to compare the effectiveness of the model. Finally, it was possible with the use of this research method to prove that the new teaching strategies are successful in paving the way to lifelong learning. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.15(2) 2001: 162-16