1stnational research week in the higher education sector · microscopic perspective ... book of...

Book of Abstracts 1st National Research Week in the Higher Education Sector ISSN 1694-3562

TERTIARY EDUCATION COMMISSION

BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

1stNational Research Week

In the

Higher Education Sector

“Research by TEIs benefitting Society”

Le Meridien Hotel, Pointe-aux-Piments

8-11 May 2018


Table of Contents

General Information.................………………………………………………………8

Keynote speakers…………….............……………………………………………….9

Abstracts

Education & Curriculum Development

Understanding the Higher Education Challenges and Opportunities for Mauritian

Public Universities.......................................................................................................13

Staff Engagement Leading to Student Engagement....................................................14

Developing Instrument to Assess Service Quality at Higher Education Institutions in

Mauritius......................................................................................................................15

Twenty Years of UoM and MPF Collaboration for the Training of Police Officers:

Lessons Learnt from the Learning Designers‘ Perspectives........................................16

Employability of BSc. Psychology & Counselling Skills Graduates: Synopsis of 2

years after Introduction of Professional Practice.........................................................17

Decolonising African Social Sciences from Mauritius: Experiences of the first year of

Teaching at the African Leadership College...............................................................18

Underachievement in School Mathematics at the Lower Secondary Level: A

Microscopic Perspective..............................................................................................19

The Impact of Parental Involvement on the Academic Performance of Students......20

Towards an Explanation for the Gradual Decline in Performance in English in Grade

6:The Case of Textbooks.............................................................................................21

Supporting Mixed Ability Secondary Students through Personalized Learning in

Computer Studies........................................................................................................22

Enhancing Learning through Student and Content Interactions Based on Preferred

Learning Style and Context Awareness......................................................................23

Learning to Dance the Tango: Trainee Teachers‘ Perceptions of Constructive

Feedback to Promote Self-Determined and Life-Long Learning................................24

Information Communication Technology in Secondary School in Mauritius.............25

Biographical Forces and Teachers‘ Practices: A Case Study of Social Studies

Educator ......................................................................................................................26


Applying the EARC Model Prototype in Teacher Education: Lessons from Two

Language Modules.......................................................................................................27

An Investigation into the Content and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of in-service

Home Economics Educators: A Case Study Among PGCE Trainees.........................28

Parental Involvement in a School-Based Nutrition Education Co-Curricular

Programme: Opportunities and Challenges..................................................................29

Curriculum Development: Constraints, Challenges and Dilemmas when Writing Educative

Curriculum Materials.....................................................................................................30

Teachers‘ Voice in Curriculum Change: Challenges and Opportunities of a ‗Blended

Approach‘ in Curriculum Development...........................................................................31

Educational Curriculum Development: Factoring in the ‗Social Justice‘ Dimension............32

From Conception to Implementation: An Overview of the Primary Holistic Education

Programme...............................................................................................................................33

A Focus on Content Knowledge: When Teachers Struggle to Exhibit Procedural Fluency...34

Home Economics Teachers‘ Education toward CK and PCK in Shaping Classroom

Instructions: A View into Subject Matter Knowledge.............................................................35

Conceptualising a Research Proposal through a Participatory Approach................................36

The Effectiveness of Engaging Pre-primary School Teachers in Nutrition Education to

Promote Healthy Eating of Pre-school Children in Rodrigues Island. A Focus Group

Discussion and Interview..........................................................................................................37

The Good Preschool Teacher – A Myth or A Reality?.............................................................38

An investigation of Early Childhood Leadership: Looking at Pre-Primary Schools................39

L‘a-Méthode pour Modéliser les Pratiques (Socio) Langagières des Enfants du Préscolaire :

Défis, Réflexions, Implications.................................................................................................40

Multilingualism and Biliteracy: Some Reading Difficulties Encountered by Children Learning

to Read in a Postcolonial Multilingual Context........................................................................41

Using Flexible Language Practices in the Multilingual Classroom: A Translanguaging Space

in the Making?..........................................................................................................................42

Vers une Modélisation de la Didactique du Français à l‘Oral au Secondaire à Maurice.........43

The Quality of English? The Quality of Disciplinary Knowledge?: Reflections.....................44

An Analysis of Mauritian Primary Schools Children‘s written Production in French and Kreol

Morisien. Educational Prospects for Nation Building in 50 years-old Independent................45

Inclusion of Students with SEN: Views of Trainee Teachers on Current Trends and Practices

in Mauritius..............................................................................................................................46


Abacus-based Program to Improve Cognition Skills with those Suffering from Various Forms

of Mental Illness.......................................................................................................................47

Social Sciences & Humanities

Conformity and Resistance in Social Networks: an Exploratory Study among Teenagers in

Quebec and Mauritius...............................................................................................................49

Towards Reducing Road Accidents in Mauritius: A Roadmap for Assessing Hazard

Perception Skills of Drivers......................................................................................................50

An Assessment of Social Impact Investment in Mauritius.......................................................51

Public Housing Programme, Inclusion and Social Equity: Lessons from the Singaporean

Model...........................................................................................................................52

The Effectiveness of NGOs in Alleviating Poverty in Mauritius............................................53

Determinants of Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does Sustainable Development Create

Jobs?.........................................................................................................................................54

Empowering Girls Towards Making an Informed Decision about the Choice for an ICT-

related Career.................................................................................................................55

Exorcism Leads to Reenactment of Trauma in a Mauritian Woman....................................56

Role of Holy Scriptures in Spreading Universal Values in a Multicultural Mauritian

Society......................................................................................................................................57

Quality of Marriage among Mauritians: Impact of Gender Role Expectations and

Religiosity.................................................................................................................................58

Dynamique du Champ Linguistique Mauricien et Survie des Langues

Ancestrales/Minoritaires: une Etude Sociolinguistique du Bhojpuri....................................59

Reducing Loneliness and Promoting Wellbeing in Older People: A Case Study of the

Mauritian Society...........................................................................................................60

Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Online Shopping in Mauritius: A Structural Equation

Modelling.......................................................................................................................61

Science, Technology & Engineering

Technology Needs Assessment for Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change and Climate

Variability in the Water Sector in Mauritius.............................................................................63

Enhanced Nitrogen Removal in Horizontal Sub-Surface Constructed Wetland

(HSSFCWs)..............................................................................................................................64


Application of Molecular Tools for Understanding Coral Adaptation in a Changing

Climate......................................................................................................................................65

Ocean Acidification Investigation using iSAMI pH Sensor and Spectrophotometric Method in

Flic-en-Flac and Albion Lagoons, Mauritius............................................................................66

Teaching and Learning Programming through Circuitry and Robotics: Insights from a

Comparative Analysis...............................................................................................................67

The Teaching of Computing through a Multi-Grade Approach with the Use of a Grid-Based

Tool in Upper Secondary Education.........................................................................................68

Recent Advances on Sensor Technologies for Monitoring Diabetes Patients..........................69

Evaluation of Phytochemical Contents and In-Vitro Bioactivity of Aloe Species Endemic to

South West Indian Ocean Islands.............................................................................................70

Synthesis, Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Amino Acid Based

Surfactants.................................................................................................................................71

Metatranscriptomics Analysis of Mangroves Habitats Around Mauritius...............................72

The Marine Red Algae (Rhodophyta) as Nutritional and Functional Food Sources (Indian

Ocean, Mauritius).....................................................................................................................73

Determination of the Microbial Profile of Effective Microorganisms (EM) and its Potential

for Manure Decontamination....................................................................................................74

Behaviour of Low Voltage Network During Fault Conditions in the Presence of Small Scale

Distributed Generation..............................................................................................................75

Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Pandanus Fibres as a Potential Reinforcing Material

for Bio-Composites...................................................................................................................76

Delayed Ettringite Formation in Concrete with Fly Ash as Partial Replacement to

Cement......................................................................................................................................77

Efficiency in the Mauritian Water Industry: A Stochastic Frontier

Analysis.....................................................................................................................................78

Multivariate Discrete-Valued Time Series Models for Transport and Social

Problems...................................................................................................................................79

Simulations of Air-Water Two-Phase Flow Patterns in a Horizontal Tube.............................80

Pyrethroids Application on Vegetable in Mauritius, a Means to Control Major Pests and

Enhance Crop Production.........................................................................................................81

Marrying Traditional and Conventional Knowledge for a Sustainable Approach to

Agriculture................................................................................................................................82

Kitchen Towel as Risk Factor for Home-Based Food Poisoning.............................................83

A Study on the Prevalence of Campylobacter SPP on Fresh Chicken Sold in Retail Outlets of

Mauritius...................................................................................................................................84


Microbial Modelling for Shelf-Life Prediction of Cooked

Tuna...............................................85

Identification of Barriers to Effective Road Safety Strategy Development in Developing

Countries – Mauritius a Case-Study.........................................................................................86

Data Analytics of Road Traffic Crowdsensing Application....................................................87

Speech to Sign Language Translator........................................................................................88

MoTicket: A QR Code Based Mobile-ticket for Bus Payment via Smart Phone for

Mauritius...................................................................................................................................89

A Smart Autonomous Mobile Guide for Heritage Sites in Port Louis.....................................90

Mauritius Deuterium Telescope................................................................................................91

A GPU-based Processing Pipeline for the Mauritius Deuterium Telescope............................92

Identification of Solid Wastes Contributing to Marine Pollution in Mauritius........................93

Potential of Torrefaction for Upgrading Wastes for Energy Use in Mauritius.........................94

Development of a Toolbox to Facilitate Design of Solar Power Systems for Mauritius.........95

National Cancer Dataset for Mauritius.....................................................................................96

Sugar-cane Bagasse Derived Cellulose Enhances Performance of Polylactide and

Polydioxanone Electrospun Scaffold for Tissue Engineering..................................................97

Quality of Life of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients in Mauritius...........................................98

Outlook on the Adoption of Improved Therapeutical Methods (Fixed Dose Combination

(FDC)) in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes.......................................................................99

A Study of Pathological Internet Use among Mauritian Adolescents aged 15-19

years........................................................................................................................................100

Mauritian Edible Mushrooms as Potential Therapeutics in Cancer

Chemoprevention....................................................................................................................101

Developing an Automated Diagnostic and Monitoring Tool for Diabetes Using White Light

and Thermal

Imaging...................................................................................................................................102

Business, Law & Management

A Spectral Element Method for Pricing Zero-Coupon Bonds and Bond Options under the

Regime-Switching Model.......................................................................................................104

A Localized Mesh Approach for Derivative Pricing under the SABR Model.......................105

The Globalization of the Real Estate Market and its Influence on the Tourism Industry......106

Impact of Exchange Rate and Exchange Rate Volatility on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Inflow for Mauritius: A Dynamic Time Series Approach......................................................107


Organizational Excellence and Performance Perfection through Virtuous Strategic Planning at

Mauritian Industry..................................................................................................................108

A Structural Equation Model for Analyzing the Impact of E-procurement in Mauritius Public

Sector......................................................................................................................................109

How far does the CSR Activities Help in Building Corporate Image? A Study of Financial

Institution in Mauritius...........................................................................................................110

Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm's Performance – Evidence...................................111

Customer Satisfaction on Adoption of e-Banking in Mauritius.............................................112

An Assessment of the Level of Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty in the Mauritian

Banking Sector........................................................................................................................113

La Valorisation des Cultures Vivrières par le Biais de la Recherce : Cas du Manioc...........114

C2C Conversations: An Analysis of Customers‘ Reactions to Customer Complaints on

Facebook Pages of Grocery Stores.........................................................................................115

A Legal Information Retrieval System for Mauritius.............................................................116

List of References......................................................................................................................117


General Information

The Tertiary Education Commission welcomes researchers, Heads of Tertiary Education

Institutions (TEIs), officials of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary

Education and Scientific Research, MPhil/PhD students to the first National Research Week

in the Higher Education Sector entitled ―Research by TEIs benefitting Society‖, 8-11 May

2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Pointe-aux-Piments.

The National Research Week regroups under a single platform all TEIs in Mauritius, public

and private, engaged in research to showcase their research work and network with one

another. The Research Week focused on four broad themes namely Education& Curriculum

Development; Social Sciences & Humanities; Business, Law and Management; and Science.

A total of 201 abstracts were received by the Commission. These abstracts underwent a

double blind review process, following which 103 were retained for the Research week along

with 32 posters. This publication comprises the research abstracts that were accepted for this

inaugural event.

While every care has been taken in the preparation of this book of abstract, by its nature, it may contain

errors which are unintentional.


Keynote speakers

Professor David Morrison

Professor David Morrison

E: [email protected]

T: +61 8 9360 2414

M:+ 61 408 654 110

W: http://profiles.murdoch.edu.au/myprofile/david-morrison/

Professor David Morrison is the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at

Murdoch University, Australia. Prior to that, he was the Head of the School of Psychology

and Winthrop Professor Psychology at the University of Western Australia. He is a registered

Psychologist with the Organisational Psychology as an endorsed specialty, Chartered

Member of the Australian Human Resources Institute, Member of the Academy of

Management (US) and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society.

Professor Morrison began his career in human factors and engineering design, researching

how humans solve complex problems and make decisions in complex industrial systems.

This includes a 5 year project funded by Meat & Livestock Australia, which looked into the

introduction of new technologies within the meat processing industry to enhance

organisational design and employee well-being. He also has a personal interest in animal

production and manages a small farm which breeds and exports Boer goats to targeted

markets.

Professor Morrison‘s board memberships include the Pawsey Supercomputer Centre;

National Centre for Excellence in Desalination; and Western Australia Animal Resources

Authority. He is also actively involved in numerous industry and wider academic initiatives.

mailto:[email protected]

http://profiles.murdoch.edu.au/myprofile/david-morrison/


Professor Nafsika Alexiadou

Professor Nafsika Alexiadou E: [email protected] T: +46 90 786 65 06 W: http://www.edusci.umu.se/om-institutionen/personal/nafsika-alexiadou

Nafsika Alexiadou is Professor of Education in Umeå since 2011. She completed her

doctorate degree as a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, in 1999, after originally

training as a primary school teacher in Greece. Nafsika has previously worked in the

Universities of Keele (UK), University of Macedonia (Greece).

She teaches and researches in the areas of education policy at national and transnational

levels, comparative studies and research methodologies. In particular, her research focuses

on:

Education policy in the European Union and its relationship with national policies,

the governance of education, and the Open Method of Coordination

Education, social inclusion and equality/inequality, in national and transnational

contexts

Marketisation and privatization of education - their contexts, processes and

consequences

Nafsika is Editor of the Education Inquiry, an international, peer-reviewed, open access

journal, published by the School of Education, Umeå University. She is currently

researching Higher Education Internationalisation and Mobility with a focus on Roma

students (Horizon 2020, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions), and the Internationalisation of

Swedish Universities (funded by the Swedish Research Council).

../../amoorgawa/kpeersia/AppData/Local/Temp/[email protected]

http://www.edusci.umu.se/om-institutionen/personal/nafsika-alexiadou

http://www.edusci.umu.se/om-institutionen/personal/nafsika-alexiadou


Professor Lessing Labuschagne

Professor Lessing Labuschagne

E: [email protected] (Professional)

T: +27 (0)12 429-6368

M:+ 27 (0)82 570-4887

W: https://za.linkedin.com/in/les-labuschagne-0b809723

When Lessing embarked on his career, it was with the backing provided by a B.Com

Honours‘ degree in Informatics and a keen interest in the way business uses Information and

Communication Technologies (ICT) to achieve its strategic objectives. He began his

professional career as a Systems Designer and Developer. The prospect of again lending his

enquiring mind to research and contributing to the shortage of ICT skills led him to return to

academia as a lecturer at Technikon South Africa in 1992, the same year in which he

completed his master‘s degree in Informatics through Rand Afrikaans University. During

this time he gained valuable academic experience of distance education.

He left academia for a few years to gain industry experience and worked at companies such

as Price Forbes and IBM South Africa as a consultant while completing his doctoral degree.

The lure of academia proved too great and he re-entered it as a senior lecturer in the

Academy of Information Technology at the Rand Afrikaans University in 1998. He

completed his doctoral degree in 2000 and became an associate professor in the same year. In

2006, he was appointed as the Head of Department for Business Information Technology in

the Faculty of Management.

In 2009, he joined UNISA as Professor and Director of the School of Computing in the

College of Science, Engineering and Technology. In July 2011, he was seconded to the

position of Executive Director of Research, an appointment which was made permanent in

October 2012. In this position, his focus was on transforming the university from a primarily

undergraduate teaching university to a research active university. This entailed the

operationalization of the Research and Innovation Strategy and Plan in line with the

university‘s goals and objectives.

Apart from his official duties, Lessing continues to remain active with research and have

published several papers in journals and peer-reviewed conference proceedings. He is a

National Research Foundation (NRF) rated researcher since 2000 and has successfully

supervised nine research-master and two doctoral students. Lessing also engages with other

professional activities and served as a member of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme

(NSFAS) ICT Committee since January 2014.

../../amoorgawa/kpeersia/AppData/Local/Temp/[email protected]

https://za.linkedin.com/in/les-labuschagne-0b809723


EDUCATION & CURRICULUM

DEVELOPMENT


Understanding the Higher Education Challenges and Opportunities for

Mauritian Public Universities

R. Roopchund

Université des Mascareignes

The research paper seeks to unravel some of the higher education challenges and

opportunities with the wave of globalisation and internationalisation in the Mauritian context.

Mauritius ambitions to be an education hub and consequently it is important to assess the

current situation. A qualitative approach has been used for the purpose of this research. A

focus group session was also conducted with key stakeholders. The research emphasises the

impact of globalisation on higher education which drives the need for a market oriented and

student centred approach of managing student recruitment. Mauritius aspires to become a

knowledge hub in the African region and even globally. The development of a knowledge

hub through universities requires lifelong learning systems that involve different stakeholders

(Ministry of Education, 2005). One of the key requirements is the need to achieve high

student engagement and loyalty which is currently lacking in the local context. Mauritius has

the ambition of following the steps of Singapore and other educational hubs in providing

world class quality of education.

Key Words: Higher education, Interviews, Globalisation and Recruitment


Staff Engagement Leading to Student Engagement

N. Veerayen

Middlesex University Mauritius

This paper considers how students from an offshore British Higher Education Institution

(HEI) are seeking the engagement of academic and administrative staff as ongoing co-

creators of their educational journey. The data utilised in the small scale study is based on the

qualitative data gathered from a series of participatory workshops including 20 HEI students.

Narrative analysis was undertaken to establish core themes and discourses, to formulate

findings, which offer new thinking about student‘s teaching and learning expectations. The

study describes how students seek the need for HEI staff to demonstrate their engagement in

student‘s educational attainment in and out of the classroom. According to the students

creating and learning together are critical success factors of student development, and in

particular in enhancing student satisfaction and the HEI‘s reputation. Given the serious

consequences of disengagement, this study presents student‘s ideas to achieve greater student

engagement.

Keywords: Student Engagement, Higher Education Institution, Co-creation, Teaching and

Learning, Participatory Approaches.


Developing Instrument to Assess Service Quality at Higher Education Institutions in

Mauritius

K. S. Angateeah

Mauritius Institute of Education

Providing quality service is a key to the survival and success of many organisations. There

has been little research interest in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as service industries,

and how these institutions ensure and deliver quality to their stakeholders. Very few studies

have explored service quality at higher education in Mauritius. As such, the aim of this study

is to develop a new instrument to assess service quality offered by HEIs, in Mauritius. Based

on existing literature on service quality conducted globally (Cerri, 2012; Parasuraman et al.,

1988; Shurair, 2017) and locally (Teeroovengadum et al., 2016), a draft instrument will be

developed. The instrument will be piloted, refined and administered to a random sample of

120 students from HEIs in Mauritius. Factor analysis will be used to identify the different

clusters contributing to service quality in HEIs. The findings will help HEIs to identify and

address their shortcomings, to review their strategic position and action plans, and hence help

in gaining competitive advantage.

Keywords: Service Quality, Higher Education, Instrument


Twenty Years of UoM and MPF Collaboration for the Training of Police Officers:

Lessons Learnt from the Learning Designers’ Perspectives

R. D. Rampersad, S. Gunness, R. Ittea

University of Mauritius

The University of Mauritius has been collaborating with the Mauritius Police Force since

1998 to design various award and non-award programmes, for different cadres, ranging from

Police Constables to Superintendents of Police and above. Rapidly changing societal

problems and profiles of new recruits require that the UoM critically reflects on the design

and delivery of training for these programmes.

This paper seeks to explore challenges encountered in the design and delivery of training for

the disciplined forces. The perspectives of course writers, lecturers, tutors, learning designers,

learners as well as the trainers from the Mauritius Police Force will be analysed through

focus group discussions and interviews.

This study seeks to contribute to the bigger discussion about training organisations‘ need to

factor in and, be responsive to the client‘s own organisational culture when designing

programmes, to ensure the success of the programmes in achieving the goals and objectives

they set out to accomplish.

Keywords: Disciplined Forces, Organisational Culture, Course Design and Development.


Employability of BSc Psychology & Counselling Skills Graduates: Synopsis of 2 years

after Introduction of Professional Practice

Y. Bhageerutty


Introduction & Rationale: With competing job markets and a saturation of BSc. Graduates in

Psychology in Mauritius it has become challenging for students to find employment. Also

with the developments in education in the region it has become salient for the Middlesex

University Psychology Department to offer a dimension to the program which is unique to

the local context but also matches an existing program in Hendon to ensure program

consistency. Findings: All students who have completed the program score within a 2.1 range

for the module and report better opportunities at finding employment. About a quarter of

students are attending post-graduate programs, and about half of them are considering

attending a post-graduate program. Conclusion: Implementation and running of the program

is successful despite several challenges including student preference for learning format and

onsite understanding of the supervisory roles. It is also recommended to do a follow-up using

more specific assessment tools.

Keywords: Professional Practice, post-graduate programs, employment


Decolonising African Social Sciences from Mauritius: Experiences of the first year of

Teaching at the African Leadership College

J. Auerbach, J. Ndegwa, M. Patallo

African Leadership University

The African Leadership College opened in Mauritius in 2015, and began offering Social

Sciences as a degree major in 2016. This paper will explore the experience of beginning a

new university department from scratch in the context of the current historical moment where

decoloniality is a foundational need in terms of curriculum creation. An article we wrote in

2017 describing our '7 commitments to decolonial social science' went viral, placing our

institution in dialogue with many of the top institutions in the world. Since then, we have

focused our efforts on building out the program in terms of content, method, and pedagogy,

working with students from across the African continent and its islands to develop a program

that is both grounded in the rich socio-economic fabric of Mauritian daily life, and in

dialogue with Africa and with the world.


Underachievement in School Mathematics at the Lower Secondary Level: A

Microscopic Perspective

A. Ramful1, A. Bholoa, S. Thapermall-Ramasawmy


Performance in mathematics at the lower secondary level remains one of the lowest at the

national level in Mauritius, consistently averaging the 40% mark at the Grade 9 level.

Motivated by the gloomy statistics, the current study investigated the nature and source of

underachievement in three Grade 9 classes. Data from the 75 participants suggest that a

considerable number of students did not have the necessary foundational knowledge. 60% of

the students received an inferior grade compared to their performance when they were in

Grade 6, three years ago. Analysis of the errors show that most of the students were

procedurally-oriented and were attempting the tasks without making much sense of the

underlying concepts. Noticeably, algebraic reasoning did not take off after 3 years of

secondary schooling. Solving word problems remains a chronic concern. Furthermore, less

than 50% of the students did not have a positive disposition towards mathematics. There was

a marked difference between students‘ actual results and their self-predicted results in the

end-of-year examinations, denominating their tendency to overestimate their mathematical

ability.

Key words: Underachievement, Mathematics, Disposition, Procedural, Difficulties


The Impact of Parental Involvement on the Academic Performance of Students

W. B. Jean-Marie

University of Technology, Mauritius

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of parental involvement on the academic

performance of students in primary R.C.A schools and secondary catholic schools of

Mauritius. The objectives of this study were to determine if a relationship exists between

parental involvement and the academic performance of students.

To achieve these objectives, questionnaires were administered to parents, students and

teachers based on grades of students and subjects. The data collected through the survey was

analysed using SPSS 21.

The study revealed that there was a strong relationship between parental involvement and the

academic performance of students at primary level but it was noted that the relationship was

weak at secondary level.

The findings obtained from this study were expected to help parents improve their level of

involvement in the education of their children, help teachers and the catholic education

authorities better involve parents in the educational process and help students improve their

overall academic performance.


Towards an Explanation for the Gradual Decline in Performance in English in Grade 6:

The Case of Textbooks

T. Auckle


From the year 2006 to 2015, statistics released by the Mauritius Examination Syndicate have

revealed a gradual decline in the overall performance of Grade 6 students in the English

language, with the pass rate decreasing from 76.70% in 2006 to 73.04% in 2015 (MES,

2018). Following Chen (2002), this paper connects the waning performance of pupils in

English with the overall quality of textbooks made available to them on the market. In the

first instance, it highlights mistakes at the level of grammar and punctuation made in these

textbooks and makes a case for the negative impact that these can have on the writing skills

of pupils. Secondly, it calls for the introduction of stronger regulations regarding the

publication of such publicly available resources which, ―as the primary carriers of school

knowledge‖ (Chen, 2002), need to be subjected to better monitoring and control by the

relevant authorities.

Keywords: Poor performance, English language, Quality of textbooks.


Supporting Mixed Ability Secondary Students through Personalized Learning in

Computer Studies

V. C. Ahku, Dr. S. Panchoo


This paper investigates why mixed ability students fail to understand the concept of

programming in computer studies in secondary education. The aim of this thesis is to help

teachers to monitor the performance of the students and enable students to pass computer

studies for O level examination. The teacher makes use of exponential moving average to

gauge student assessment since he or she can attempt the test more than once. We present a

personalized e-learning platform for vb.net programming where it caters also for mixed

ability students. This platform has been built by making reference to Salmon model.

Index Terms—Personalized, Exponential moving average, Mixed ability, Salmon model.


Enhancing Learning through Student and Content Interactions Based on Preferred

Learning Style and Context Awareness

A. Budoo


Mobile devices are recognized as an emerging technology with the potential to facilitate

teaching and learning strategies that exploit individual student‘s context. However, efficient

learning process is still lacking, mainly due to mixed ability issues that students face in the

classroom set up. Moreover, there is a shortage of customized, pedagogical applications

which can drive students to learn at their own pace and place. To get the most out of the

portable computing power available at students‘ fingertips, this paper proposes a mobile

application, implemented as per the students‘ learning styles, and activated by context

awareness, privileging personalized learning. Result shows an improvement of 38.5% when

using the proposed application. Furthermore, it demonstrates that apart from content

adaptation, students can learn better while having a step-by-step assistance and constructive

feedback during the evaluation. Additionally, the context awareness has proved to be the

right supports given, triggered by the environment and as expected by the students.

Keywords— Online Pedagogy, Learning Style, Mobile Learning, Context Awareness,

Learning Analytics, Constructive feedback


Learning to Dance the Tango: Trainee Teachers’ Perceptions of Constructive Feedback

to Promote Self-Determined and Life-Long Learning

M. Jawaheer, S. Goburdhun


Constructive feedback in the fields of andragogy, heutagogy and teacher education is the

nexus of education research since it stimulates self-determined and autonomous life-long

learning skills at teacher training level. The philosophical assumptions of the transformative

paradigm have been adopted as trainees are intrinsically motivated to engage in a dynamic

and reflexive process of independently constructing, interpreting and reconstructing feedback

by their tutors. This case study explores how trainees perceive multiple constructive feedback

strategies as a stimulus for self-determined and autonomous reflexive practice in two

different modules: English Language Teaching and Teaching Strategies for History at

Teacher‘s Diploma Primary level. Online reflexive journaling, focused group interviews and

a survey have been used as data collection tools over a course of a semester and content

analysis is used to capture emerging data. Findings at this stage are at intermediary level.

Keywords: Constructive Feedback, Self-Determined Learning, Life-Long Learning,

Reflexive Practice


Information Communication Technology in Secondary School in Mauritius

B. Jugurnath, M. Santally, R. Bissessur, Y. Ramjattan


The use of ICT can be a driving force in boosting traditional teaching methods and assisting

teachers in preaching their knowledge to students. As such, it is primordial to improve

traditional teaching mechanisms by amalgamating a correct proportion of theory and

analytical expertise via the use of ICT. This paper intends to investigate the factors which

underpin the integration of ICT with the use of traditional teaching methods in secondary

schools in Mauritius. A survey questionnaire was designed and distributed to a random

sample of 250 teachers who belong to private and public institutions of Mauritius. This

research provides more insight in understanding the preferred teaching methods of teachers,

how far teachers deem new methods of e-teaching as effective, their views on the use of

specialized software and simulations and how far they consider e-learning as efficient in

teaching their students. The descriptive statistics also shows that the respondents fully

accepted the idea of ICT in education as it may help students in the decision making process,

enhances their problem solving skills, improves their analytical skills, adds on to their

communication skills and enhances participation in class.

Keywords: ICT, Education, Survey, Teaching Methods


Biographical Forces and Teachers’ Practices: A Case Study of Social Studies Educators

J. Ramsaha, S. Goburdhun


The Social Studies educators face a unique set of challenges. They are expected to have

multi-disciplinary knowledge and multi-dimensional skills to be effective in their practices.

Studies conducted in the field of education have shown that the quality of learning that occurs

within the classroom depends to a great extent on the learning opportunities created by the

teacher. This paper examines the interplay of the different biographical forces that influence

teachers approach to teaching Social Studies in classrooms. A case study research design was

adopted. Open ended questionnaires were administered to gather information about teachers

own learning experiences. Semi structured interviews were conducted to have an in-depth

insight into teachers‘ actual practices in classrooms. Preliminary findings show a strong

relation between teachers owns learning experience and their practice.

Keywords: Multi-disciplinary knowledge, Multi-disciplinary skills, Biographical Forces


Applying the EARC Model Prototype in Teacher Education: Lessons from Two

Language Modules

S. Oozeerally, H. Hookoomsing


This contribution aims to present elements from an ongoing research work which is focused

on conceiving an epistemological model based on complexity thinking, with particular focus

on hermeneutics and phenomenology, the Experiential Altero-Reflexive Conception model

(EARC). This model emerged from the application of another complexity –based model (le

modèle de l‘humain se formant en alternance, (Gérard, 2010)) in the understanding of the

experienciation of poetry-writing in Kreol Morisien (Oozeerally and Hookoomsing, in press).

As of now, the model is in its second prototypic phase and is being tested, via case study

method, in different teacher-training modules at the level of the MIE. For the purpose of this

presentation, we will focus on two language modules for secondary-school level trainee

educators: Initiation à l‘analyse du discours (La description) and English Literature II: poetry

(poetry appreciation).

Keywords: Epistemology, Hermeneutics, Experienciation, Education, Teacher Education


An Investigation into the Content and Pedagogical Content Knowledge of in-service

Home Economics Educators: A Case Study among PGCE Trainees

A. Engutsamy-Borthosow, M. Gowreesunkur-Veerapen


Content Knowledge (CK) and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) play an important part

in classroom instructions for effective teaching of the subject. This study explores the CK and

PCK of the trainees for topics taught at lower secondary level in the two main components of

Home Economics, namely Food Studies and Textile Studies. Each component comprises a

theoretical and a practical part. In-service Home Economics educators (n=12) having less

than 10years teaching experience, following the Post Graduate Certificate Course (PGCE) on

a part time basis at the MIE participated in the study. Data was collected to investigate into

the differences in the CK and PCK of trainees at two phases of the teacher education

programme through questionnaires, observations during teaching practice visits, and during a

focused group discussion. Findings revealed that there is a serious need to deeply foster

trainees‘ CK. Evidence from teaching practice visits showed that the participants

demonstrated poor mastery of their CK and PCK mainly in the teaching of the practical part

of the subject. One major barrier affecting trainees‘ CK is that they did not study the subject

at upper secondary level, resulting in difficulty in effective teaching of the subject.

Keywords: Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Home Economics,

Practical-based subject, PGCE.


Parental Involvement in a School-Based Nutrition Education Co-Curricular

Programme: Opportunities and Challenges

B. Oogarah-Pratap, S. Beebeejaun-Roojee, B. Joggesser, R. Nenduradu, J. Ramkurrun,

M. Veerapen


The school setting is recognized as an effective site for nutrition education programmes

targeting children (Pearez-Rodrigo et al, 2001). Parents have a key role to play, especially in

programmes targeting young children (Van Lippevelde et al., 2012; Centres for Disease

Control and Prevention, 2015). Parental involvement has been identified as a major challenge

in many school-based nutrition education programmes (Clelland, 2013). Yet, there are limited

studies focusing on parental involvement and experiences in such programmes, more so in

the local context. This paper, thus, explores the nature of parental involvement and

experiences in a school-based co-curricular nutrition education programme which was

developed to support the teaching and learning of selected concepts related to healthy eating

in the Grade 3 Health and Physical Education curriculum. The programme was implemented

in 2017 in 66 primary schools targeting Grade 3 pupils, their parents and teachers across the

four educational zones in Mauritius. Data on parental involvement were gathered from school

implementation progress reports and self-completion questionnaires. The findings provide an

insight of the effectiveness of the nutrition education strategies used for parental

involvement, including the opportunities and challenges.

Keywords: Nutrition education programme; Primary schools; Parental involvement


Curriculum Development: Constraints, Challenges and Dilemmas when Writing

Educative Curriculum Materials

N. Congo-Poottaren, S. Beebeejaun-Roojee, V. Bissonauth


In the wake of the grand educational reform, the Mauritius Institute of Education was called

upon to develop curriculum materials for the primary, secondary and the extended stream.

For both the primary and extended stream, it was decided that educative curriculum materials

need to be prepared with the view to assist both the teachers‘ and students‘ learning (Davis et

al., 2017). The literature is replete with research work on curriculum design, instruction and

evaluation (Ball et al., 1996). However, very few studies speak about the development of

curriculum material from the curriculum developer‘s standpoint. A qualitative research was

conducted to give voice to the curriculum developers (n=4) and bring to the forefront their

constraints, challenges and dilemmas when developing educative curriculum materials. The

findings revealed the tensions between providing a heuristic guidance rather than a

prescriptive format of curriculum material as well as shed light on the challenges and

constraints faced by the curriculum developers.

Keywords: Educative curriculum materials, curriculum developers


Teachers’ Voice in Curriculum Change: Challenges and Opportunities of a ‘Blended

Approach’ in Curriculum Development

S. Goburdhun, J. Ramsaha


Curriculum development is a complex process involving various stakeholders: policy makers,

subject experts, rectors, teachers and parents. Among these key partners the role of the

teachers is inevitably the most important as, ultimately, they are the ones implementing the

curriculum in the classroom. This paper examines teachers‘ experience in the process of

developing Social and Modern Studies (SMS) curriculum, introduced at the lower secondary

level, in the wake of the current curriculum reforms in the country. A case study research

design was adopted and semi structured interviews with teachers provided the data for the

study. Teachers‘ voice and engagement in the SMS curriculum development process is

discussed within an adapted version of the ‗Operative Roles‘ framework which is based on

the basic requirements in terms of teachers‘ roles and competencies. Bernstein‘s model of

discourse levels was used to get a deeper insight into teachers‘ involvement in the curriculum

development process.

Keywords: Curriculum development, Blended approach, Teacher engagement, Operative

Roles


Educational Curriculum Development: Factoring in the ‘Social Justice’ Dimension

A. Ankiah-Gangadeen, P. Nadal


International drivers such as ‗inclusiveness‘ and ‗education for all‘ strongly influence

curriculum reforms worldwide. This is also true with the Nine-Year Schooling locally, more

so as our labour force is the major resource available in our SIDS context. Curriculum design

is nevertheless a challenging process because of the policy-practice schism caused by social

realities. In this presentation, we focus on the curriculum for the Extended Four-Year Cycle

that aims at eventually bringing under achievers at PSAC level – often those children who

bear the dismal physical and psychological wounds of life – at par with mainstream Grade 9

students. Given that all existing models of curriculum are a manifestation of power

distribution in society (Cheng-Man Lau, 2001), we investigate how curriculum designers

circumvent socio-economic barriers to develop a curriculum that ‗fits all‘ and fulfils a social

justice agenda despite being predominantly academic. Drawing upon our experiences in

curriculum development, we also examine the core policy-guiding considerations that should

prevail to secure the academic and career pathways of children with diverse profiles.

Key words: Curriculum development, Social justice, Inclusiveness


From Conception to Implementation: An Overview of the Primary Holistic Education

Programme

H. Hookoomsing, S. Oozeerally


As part of the Nine Year Continuous Basic Education (NYCBE) reform, the Teacher‘s

Diploma Primary Holistic Education programme (TDPHE) has been running at the Mauritius

Institute of Education since 2017. Amid epistemological issues, policy often not being in line

with the theoretical and philosophical foundations of holism (Hookoomsing and Oozeerally,

forthcoming), the programme is now being implemented at school level via trainee TDPHE

educators. This contribution aims to trace the pathway of the programme, from its conception

to its implementation at school level. In the first instance, through a reflexive case study, we

will discuss the epistemological underpinnings of holism and holistic education and the

translation thereof into programme-conception. In the second instance, we will discuss the

implementation of the programme through a case study of four trainee educators posted at a

Catholic School.

Keywords: holism, holistic education, teacher training, programme conception


A Focus on Content Knowledge: When Teachers Struggle to Exhibit Procedural

Fluency

A. Bholoa, S. Purdasseea, S. Thapermall-Ramasawmy


Research in mathematics education increasingly calls for teachers to create meaningful and

adequate instructional opportunities to promote procedural fluency among learners (Bahr et

al., 2010). Procedural fluency refers to the knowledge of mathematical facts, rules or

algorithms and how to use them accurately, flexibly and efficiently (National Council of

Teachers of Mathematics, 2014). In our quest to understand how teachers articulate this

concept, this study investigates the nexus between teachers‘ content knowledge and

procedural fluency by focusing on the division of fractions. A worksheet containing a fraction

division task was administered to 15 in-service secondary mathematics educators. The

division task presented to the teachers was procedurally and conceptually flawed but led to

the correct numerical answer, revealing a misapplication of the fraction multiplication

algorithm where teachers treated numerators and denominators of fractions as separate whole

numbers. None of the teachers could argue along these lines implying that the teachers‘

content knowledge is insufficient to provide learners with procedural fluency.

Key words: Mathematics, Content knowledge, Procedural fluency, Fractions


Home Economics Teachers’ Education toward CK and PCK in Shaping Classroom

Instructions: A View into Subject Matter Knowledge

M. Gowreesunkur-Veerapen


Teachers‘ professional knowledge acquired in teacher education can be regarded as a key

target and leeway for student‘s progress. While research replete with findings on teacher‘s

Content Knowledge (CK), limited studies was carried out on how Home Economics teachers‘

preparedness aid in shaping classroom instructions for CK and Pedagogical Content

Knowledge (PCK), when they relate to teachers‘ practice (Abell, 2007). Nonetheless, strong

CK does not necessarily lead to the development of PCK (Lee et al., 2007).

Therefore, this study provides an insight on teachers' professional development of subject

matter knowledge, how it is translated better interaction between teachers and learners in the

classroom (Shulman, 1887). The participants were the PGCE teachers (n=10) from 3 cohorts.

The goal of PCK was to investigate if teachers convey knowledge effectively to students

(Morrison et al., 2015). Data collection instruments, questionnaire, observation grid,

interviews both individual and focus group and examination scripts provided data on their

barriers, challenges and learning opportunities to develop knowledge of subject matter.

Key words: Teacher‘s Professional knowledge, Content knowledge, Pedagogical Content

knowledge.


Conceptualising a Research Proposal through a Participatory Approach

A. Rumjaun


Learning is assumed to be an individual, cognitive process that manifests itself in people‘s

ability to process information and follow rules and instructions. Learning is not about

individual information processing. It is about people‘s formation of identity, communities,

and opportunities to participate in social practice and social life. The perspective of

communities of practice (CoP) emphasizes the social character and practice-orientated base

of all processes of learning.

This research proposal seeks to document the steps engaged in the establishment of a

community of practice in two private secondary schools. The community of practice will

mainstream climate change, an international and national natural/human-induced

phenomenon. The poor and marginalized families are more vulnerable to social, economic

and environmental effects. Drawing from selected theoretical frame, the paper will speak to

the processes and challenges incurred in the establishment of the CoP.

Keywords: community of practice (CoP), climate change, challenges and opportunities,

framework


The Effectiveness of Engaging Pre-primary School Teachers in Nutrition Education to

Promote Healthy Eating of Pre-school Children in Rodrigues Island. A Focus Group

Discussion and Interview

M. Gowreesunkur-Veerapen


Eating habits in children are generally developed since young. Therefore, nutrition education

should be conveyed to children from an early age (Ruzita et al., 2007). Children in Rodrigues

Island mostly come from a low socio economic background where there is a decline in the

consumption nutritious foods. Rodrigues Regional Assembly provide help the pre-primary

children. Teachers being stake holders, have vital role to play to promote healthy eating in

school. Nutrition education programmes can improve nutrition knowledge as well as the

eating habits or eating practices among practices (Contento et al., 2004).

This study examines the effectiveness of Pre- primary school teachers in conveying nutrition

education information to promote healthy eating. Data collected with a group of teachers

(n=15) through focus group discussion and interviews provided insight on the types of food

that are provided by the authority, data on teacher‘s engagement in promoting health eating

was collected through questionnaire. The findings revealed the challenges and usefulness of

teacher‘s nutrition education intervention to promote healthy eating among the children in

Rodrigues.

Keywords: Pre-Primary School Teachers, Pre School Children, Nutrition Education, Healthy

Eating.


The Good Preschool Teacher – A Myth or A Reality?

S. Rajiah


While society believes that competent, effective teachers are important keys to a strong

system of education (Parkay et al., 2010), teachers are entrusted with the task of ensuring

children‘s intellectual growth and in preparing each new generation to meet the challenge of

the future (Hargreaves, 2009). The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of new

entrants to preschool teacher education program about being and becoming a good teacher.

70 new preschool teachers in a preschool teacher education program answered the questions

what is a good teacher and how to become and remain a good teacher in the form of focus

grouped discussions. Using the Onion Model, the responses were categorized into 5 sections.

The findings revealed the preconceived perceptions of the participants about being and

becoming a good teacher and shed light on the truth that lies behind remaining a good

teacher.

Keywords: Good teacher, Preschool teacher, Teacher-students, Preschool teacher education

program.


An investigation of Early Childhood Leadership: Looking at Pre-Primary Schools

V. Adiapen


The role of educational Leaders is becoming more complex since there is a growing need for

strong leaders due to their active contribution in the promotion of education. In Mauritius, the

early childhood managers in the pre-primary schools for children aged 3-5 years old are

predominantly female with a weak educational background (Bouzermaurice, 2011; Thornton,

2009).

This study aims to investigate the concept of leadership in Early Childhood Education (ECE)

from the perceptions of three early childhood managers. The data collection methods are

observation, interviews and field notes.

Research findings indicate that there is no distinct model of early childhood leadership.

However, ECE leaders may be using a blend of shared, pedagogical and distributed

leadership models in the context of a multi-agency work.

Key words: Early childhood education, early childhood leadership, distributed leadership,

pedagogical leadership, multi-agency work, team culture.


L’a-Méthode pour Modéliser les Pratiques (Socio) Langagières des Enfants du

Préscolaire : Défis, Réflexions, Implications

S. Oozeerally, H. Hookoomsing, K. Peedoly, C. Thondee


Cette contribution a pour objectif de présenter une partie du processus de recherche ainsi que

les « résultats » d‘un projet ayant comme finalité la modélisation des pratiques (socio)

langagières des enfants du préscolaireissus de treize écoles à Maurice. S‘appuyant sur la

complexité, qui repose sur l‘a-méthode (Morin, 2008) puisqu‘elle remet en question les

fondements épistémologiques, théoriques et donc méthodologiques des approches

‗courantes‘, le projet en question a été réalisée à travers une approche axiomatico-

inférentielle (Le Moigne, 1999) tendanciellement qualitativiste afin de pouvoir rendre compte

des complexités observées sur le terrain. Au-delà des défis associés à une telle approche, nous

avons pu proposer un cliché modélisateur (puisque les faits sont en mouvement perpétuel) qui

démontre, entre autres, un degré de reliance (Bolle de Bal, 2003) élevé dans le vécu

(socio)langagier des enfants, notamment par rapport à la micro-historicité et les implexes

situationnelles. Nous avons aussi pu observer une tendance marquée vers les pratiques ICH

(instables, contextuelles, hétérogènes, historicisées, Robillard, 2008a).

Mots-clés : a-méthode, complexité, pratiques sociolangagières, éducation, préscolaire.


Multilingualism and Biliteracy: Some Reading Difficulties Encountered by Children

Learning to Read in a Postcolonial Multilingual Context

E. Kee Mew Wan Khin


Key studies on literacy development have been mostly concerned with monolingual children

and those learning to read in a second language, with basics already acquired in the first

language. Studies have also tended not to focus on children who are concurrently learning to

read in two languages which furthermore are not their first languages and to which exposure

varies prior to entering formal instruction. However, in many postcolonial multilingual

contexts (Bamgbose, 2004) such as Mauritius, pupils are taught through the medium of

second or third languages (French and English here), which are inherited colonial languages

rather than through their mother tongue.

This presentation will outline some reading difficulties encountered by children learning to

read in a postcolonial multilingual context. The study has been carried out with a sample of

8-9 year-old pupils, an age where most children can normally decode print and make sense of

what is written.

Keywords: Biliteracy, Multilingualism, Postcolonial context.


Using Flexible Language Practices in the Multilingual Classroom: A Translanguaging

Space in the Making?

S. J. Ramasawmy


The paradigm shift in the conceptualisation of language and its impact on the understanding

and representation of multilingualism calls for the insights gathered to inform multilingual

education policy. Indeed, monolingual instructional approaches are still pervasive and have

deleterious consequences on language teaching and learning. This paper, therefore, aims at

developing an understanding of multilingual practices in education. Thus, I explore how

teachers use hybrid language practices in the classroom and what motivates their choice, by

focussing on the enactment of flexible language practices in two secondary school English

language classes. The linguistic ethnographic study reveals that the two participants have

taken up agentic roles in deciding to transform their classrooms into translanguaging spaces

where their learners can enact their multilingual identities by drawing freely and widely from

their linguistic repertoire. As a result, I argue that translanguaging offers pedagogical

strategies that facilitate meaning-making, thus making English language learning more

accessible.

Keywords: Multilingualism, Language Practices, Translanguaging Pedagogy, English

Language Teaching


Vers une Modélisation de la Didactique du Français à l’Oral au Secondaire à Maurice

K. S. Peedoly


Cette contribution vise à présenter notre projet de recherche doctorale concernant la

didactique du français à l‘oral à Maurice. La question centrale de notre recherche autour de

laquelle gravitent plusieurs questions rhizomiques est : Quel modèle de français à l‘oral

utiliser pour son enseignement/apprentissageà Maurice et comment assurer sa mise en place ?

Pour répondre à cette question, nous nous baserons sur une recension des écrits sur la

didactique et la pédagogie de l‘oral avant d‘élaborer une typologie de l‘oral dans ses objets.

Pour ce faire, nous utiliserons l‘anasynthèse comme cadre méthodologique en précisant

toutefois que pour le volet prototypique modélisant, nous nous appuierons sur une

contextualisation qui prendra sa source dans notre état des lieux de l‘enseignement de l‘oral

au secondaire à Maurice. Cette recherche rendra aussi compte d‘une didactique de la

complexité pour l‘oral, d‘où le besoin de modéliser.

Mots-clés : didactique, oral, anasynthèse, complexité, contextualisation


The Quality of English? The Quality of Disciplinary Knowledge? : Reflections

A. M. A. Owodally


While Mauritius has overcome the challenge of access to education, Mauritius is still

grappling with the issue of quality of education. In this paper, I focus specifically on English,

the language that mediates academic knowledge/success. An analysis of the quality of results

in English at CPE and SC levels raise concerns about students‘ level of understanding of

disciplinary content. For the period 2010 and 2016, between 9.66% and 11.68% of children

who sat for the CPE exam scored an A+ in English. For the same period, approximately 6%

of students who sat for English at SC level scored a distinction (Grade 1 or 2) and

approximately 40% of the students scored a pass (Grade 7 or 8). In the present paper, I will

focus particularly on Reports on CPE exams (English, Science, History/Geography, and

Maths) and argue that quality of English is affecting the quality of student performance

across subjects.

Keywords: English language, Quality of performance, disciplinary knowledge.


An Analysis of Mauritian Primary Schools Children’s written Production in French

and Kreol Morisien. Educational Prospects for Nation Building in 50 years-old

Independent

G. Florigny


After 30 years trying to find a solution to CPE exams, Mauritian education system has lived a

major change in 2017 with its replacement by PSAC exams in a new 9-year schooling

formula. We would like in this presentation to examine what children‘s written production in

French and Kreol Morisien tell us about literacy in 50 years-old independent Mauritius.

This presentation is based on fieldwork performed by UoM French students in primary

schools these past years, questioning, on one hand, what can be said about the level of

literacy of these children in French and, on the other, if the introduction of Kreol Morisien as

an optional subject does have an impact on written performance in French.

The results of these studies show that many children fail to attain basic literacy in French,

while the teaching/learning of Kreol Morisien does not seem to affect written performance in

French.

Keywords: Language Acquisition, Literacy in Primary School Education, Multilingualism,

Creole-Speaking Environment.


Inclusion of Students with SEN: Views of Trainee Teachers on Current Trends and

Practices in Mauritius

N. Congo-Poottaren, S. Rajiah


The Nine Year Continuous Basic Education which represents a major curriculum reform has

directed attention to the inclusion of students with Special Education Needs in mainstream

schools, which implies transforming mainstream classes (Ainscow, 1996).The aim of this

study was to investigate the views of trainee teachers on the practicability of inclusion in

Mauritius. 50 trainee teachers participated in semi-structured interviews and focus group

discussions. The findings were divided into three categories based on an iceberg model

(Goodman, 1997). The visible part of the iceberg represents the efforts that are being made

by the education system in Mauritius to cater for inclusion. The middle part of the iceberg

represents the views of the teacher trainees on the relevance of the efforts. The bottom part

shows why the trainees have these views about inclusion. Recommendations were proposed

to support inclusion in Mauritian schools.

Keywords: Inclusion, Mainstream classes, Teacher trainees, Mauritian schools


Abacus-based Program to Improve Cognition Skills with those suffering from Various

Forms of Mental Illness

V. Tulsidas


The aim of the study was to stimulate the brain and enhance cognition using the techniques

developed by the UCMAS© program. Given the promising results that show an increase in

cognition abilities using abacus based programs in certain individuals, it was hypothesized

that those suffering from various forms of mental illness could also show similar

improvements. Previous studies have shown that manipulation and a number of calculations

used on the abacus can improve memory, boost confidence, increase concentration and focus.

Since those suffering with mental illness face numerous limitations that hinder their cognitive

growth, the current research was developed to determine if participants could show

improvements in these specific cognitive areas. 12 participants from a community based

center that supports those suffering from mental illness were selected to participant in the

present study. The materials used were an abacus and a visual calculator program to perform

psychometric testing. A baseline was determined and each participant was given scores to

assess progress. Participants were also encouraged to reflect and report any self-observed

improvements. Results are to be reported after final testing session due in April.

Keywords: Cognition, mental illness, abacus-based calculation, memory, confidence,

concentration, focus


SOCIAL SCIENCE & HUMANITIES


Conformity and Resistance in Social Networks: an Exploratory Study among Teenagers

in Quebec and Mauritius

M. Bissière

Open University of Mauritius

Our research investigates the tendency of teenagers to submit or resist to group pressure on

social networks in Quebec and Mauritius. This phenomenon was explored among a sample of

72 boys and girls aged between 13 and 15 under the lens of the Asch‘s theory. In social

psychology, Asch (1952) found that 36.8% of respondents adopted the erroneous position of

a majority in face to face communication. In our study, a mixed methodology was used to

examine the attitudes of respondents when exposed to an erroneous and unanimous opinion

held by a group online. Results showed that 59.7% of teenagers conformed to the majority.

The youngest and girls were more prone to such attitude. In terms of resistance to group

pressure, a higher rate of 47.2% was observed in Quebec compared to 33.3% in Mauritius.

The desire to maintain group adhesion was highlighted as main reason behind conformity.

Keywords: conformity, group adhesion, online, resistance, social networks


Towards Reducing Road Accidents in Mauritius: A Roadmap for Assessing Hazard

Perception Skills of Drivers

A. Santokhee, G. Bekaroo, D. Roopowa, K. Molico


According to Statistic Mauritius (2017), the number of road accidents registered during the

first semester of the year 2017 was 15,037 as compared to 14,452 during the corresponding

period of year 2016, showing a rise of 4.0%. Among these road traffic accidents, 257

individuals had serious injuries and 69 were fatal cases (Statistic Mauritius, 2017). Driver

errors have been commonly reported as a major cause of motor vehicle collisions (Parker et

al, 1995). A prominent factor has been the driver‘s ability to detect road hazards and respond

swiftly to hazardous situations which could potentially lead to road traffic accidents

(D‘Addario, 2014; Crick et al., 1992). However, limited work has been done in the area of

hazard perception of drivers in Mauritius. The purpose of this study is to analyse how hazard

perception test is performed internationally. Based on the findings, a roadmap for assessing

the hazard perception skill level of Mauritian drivers is proposed.

Keywords: Driver errors, Hazard perception, Road accidents


An Assessment of Social Impact Investment in Mauritius

K. D. Padachi, A.Boolaky, D. Mauree-Narrainen


Social Impact Investment (SII) brings a third dimension called ―impact‖ to the traditional risk

and return evaluation of capital, broadening the spectrum of purpose investing. The

possibility is to generate financial returns, social and environmental impact (OECD, 2015;

National Advisory Board Germany, 2014). The study investigates into the potential for

setting an SII ecosystem in Mauritius to address the increasing economic and social

challenges (World Bank, 2015). With a mixed methodology approach, a survey was carried

out with potential investees including NGOs. The actors from the supply side namely

representatives of ministries, public agencies, fund managers, foundations and commercial

banks were evaluated through focus group discussions. An investigation into the current

landscape has led to the adaptation of two funding models for the Mauritian ecosystem. A

SWOT Analysis resulted towards the formulation of a number of recommendations namely

the setting up of an Interagency Task Force, building a strong intermediation and pave the

way for social entrepreneurship.

Keywords: Social impact investing, SI ecosystem, Impact measurement, Financial

intermediary


Public Housing Programme, Inclusion and Social Equity: Lessons from the

Singaporean Model

N. Ragodoo


Whilst both Mauritius and Singapore are globally acclaimed for their accelerated pace of

economic and social progress, it is clear that the Asian tiger is well in advance with regards to

public housing policy. This study focuses on how public housing can be a valuable tool for

nation-building, inclusion and social integration. The primary aim of this paper is to take a

deep insight in the Singaporean model so as to identify the key elements to its success story.

Even if it is generally assumed that the Singaporean is non-replicable, this study analyses

how the Singaporean housing programme contributes towards the improvement of the overall

living conditions of the whole population whilst ensuring that the goal of a full property–

owning society is achieved. This work studies the main policies put in place by the

Singaporean authorities over the years so as to ensure that the housing units developed are

both liveable and sustainable. Mauritius has the possibility of learning from the Singaporean

public housing experience with regards to inclusion, social equity and, ultimately, the

creation of a better society for one and all.

Keywords: Public Policy, housing, Singapore, Mauritius


The Effectiveness of NGOs in Alleviating Poverty in Mauritius

T. Luckho, K. B. Khodabacksh


In Mauritius, there are over 400 Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) registered to offer

assistance to needy people in the country, and this number is growing year after year. NGOs

are at the centre of the fight against poverty in many countries; assistance funds are generally

channelled through these organisations and other social-oriented entities. However, recent

statistics in Mauritius have shown that, despite being low in numbers, many families still find

themselves indulged in extreme poverty. Hence, a genuine question arises about the

effectiveness of these NGOs as a medium in the fight against poverty in the country. A

survey was administered to a group of NGOs beneficiaries and the results confirmed that

these organisations are struggling to reduce poverty in the country. Giving out ―free aids‖ to

poor people put them into an artificial conform zone, from which the latter has no incentive

of getting out. Instead, this paper proposes a palliative system build around ―capacity-

building aids‖ – like education and training instead of ―assisted-aids‖.

Keywords: NGOs, Poverty Alleviation, Mauritius.


Determinants of Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Does Sustainable Development

Create Jobs?

S. Gokhool, Dr. K. V. Tandrayen-Ragoobur, Dr. H. Kasseeah


In spite of the recent economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), questions are now

emerging for many economies about whether such growth can be replicated or sustained in

the view that SSA is already facing several challenges in terms of changing demographics,

diminutive role of industrialisation and increase in informal jobs. Studies have shown that

greening the economy has a great potential to improve the environment, stimulate growth and

create jobs (OECD, 2011; Pollin et al., 2008). Sustainable development is highly relevant to

SSA since most of the countries are highly dependent on natural resources (Mariano, 2014).

This study consequently aims to investigate the traditional determinants of employment

levels in SSA, such as trade, economic growth, inflation and investment. The innovation is

that it examines the impact of sustainable development on job creation, an area that is largely

under-research in the SSA case. Findings in this study indicate that sustainable development

increases employment level and this region should focus their investment areas on agriculture

for sustainable jobs.

Keywords: SSA, Economic Growth, Sustainable Development, Employment


Empowering Girls towards Making an Informed Decision about the Choice for an ICT-

related Career

T. Jutton, R. Doomun, P. Appavoo, T. Luckho, R. Dookhun, Y. Boodhun,C. Rey


According to the United Nations, women are at risk of losing out on tomorrow‘s best ICT job

opportunities and especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

fields. Women will gain only one STEM-related job for every 20 jobs lost in other areas,

whereas men will gain one new job for every four lost elsewhere (ICT Facts and Figures,

2016; International Telecommunication Union, United Nations, Economic and Social

Council, 2016).

Given the increasing labour and skills mismatch and gender disparity, it is imperative to

explore the situation in the Mauritian context and come up with ways to reduce the gender

gap in the ICT sector while also ensuring a proper career choice by the skilled girls

graduating in this field.

In this context, a study is being carried out across the ICT industry in Mauritius to explore the

ratio of women working in the ICT sector and assess the working conditions and challenges

they face to eventually map out the reasons why they opted for ICT subjects and a career in

this field. The aim of the research is to devise a framework for an informed decision towards

choosing an ICT-related career by girls.

Keywords: Gender, ICT, Skill, Career


Exorcism Leads to Re-enactment of Trauma in a Mauritian Woman

I. J. Pietkiewicza, M. Lecoq-Bambocheb


Childhood trauma can have a lasting effect on personality and daily functioning, leading to

dissociative changes in behaviour and identity. How these are interpreted and handled usually

depends on local culture and beliefs. This article presents the case of a Mauritian woman with

a history of childhood abuse that was exorcised to ―dispel an evil spirit.‖ An in-depth

interview exploring her experiences and meaning-making was transcribed and subjected to

interpretative phenomenological analysis. This article discusses possession as a culturally

accepted metaphor for incomprehensible behaviours. It shows that help-seeking pathways are

determined by symptom interpretation models that are reinforced by the local environment. It

also demonstrates that exorcisms are potentially retraumatizing by the enactment of painful

memories and emotions during this ritual. The authors stipulate that exorcism seekers could

benefit from additional clinical assessment by professionals experienced in the dissociation

field.

Keywords: Spirit Possession, Exorcism, Trauma, Help-seeking


Role of Holy Scriptures in Spreading Universal Values in a Multicultural Mauritian

Society

P. K. Hemraz-Hurdoyal

Mahatma Gandhi Institute

Morality is the foundation of human social evolution and is crucial for progress, community

development and sustenance. Currently, in Mauritius and throughout the world, there is a

decline in morality and ethical values, which has resulted into many social evils. Values such

as tolerance, love, compassion, cooperation, justice, non-violence, truth and honesty are at the

core of our society. In this work, the Indian scripture 'Ramcharitmanas' has been analysed and

compared to other religious scriptures, such as The Holy Bible and The Holy Qur‘an. The

central meeting point in these scriptures has been discussed. An attempt has also been made

to compare the universal values both in Indian and Western cultures. Finally, an intercultural

philosophy based on the acceptance of differences, which could be a realistic model defining

Mauritian culture and could pave the way for social peace and harmony, is proposed.

Keywords: Multicultural society, Ramcharitmanas, Morality, Values, Culture


Quality of Marriage among Mauritians: Impact of Gender Role Expectations and

Religiosity

S. Rampat, N. K. B. Baichoo


The associations among religiosity, gender role expectations and marriage have produced

mixed findings across different societies (Gerson, 1993; Miller et al., 2003). 160 married

individuals (77 males, 83 females) in Mauritius, responded to the Intrinsic Religiosity Scale

(Hoge, 1972); Gender Roles Belief scale (Brown et al., 2012); and Dyadic Adjustment Scale.

T-tests revealed that individuals having high religiosity demonstrated less egalitarian views

on gender roles, t(157) = 5.49, p < .05; and women held more egalitarian views of gender

than men, t(157) = 4.43, p < .05. Moreover, simple linear regression analyses demonstrated

that gender role expectations (F(1, 157) = 1.987, p < .05; R2 = .219) and religiosity (F(1, 157)

= 2.273, p < . 05; R2 = .356) predicted quality of marriage, with improved marital quality

resulting from less egalitarian gender role expectations and high religiosity. These findings

help explain why in today‘s dynamic society, where people are moving away from traditional

gender roles and religiosity, marital breakdown and divorce rates are on the high.

Keywords: Gender Roles, Religiosity, Marriage


Dynamique du Champ Linguistique Mauricien et Survie des Langues Ancestrales /

Minoritaires: une Etude Sociolinguistique du Bhojpuri

A. Murdan


Je fais une recherche sociolinguistique sur le bhojpuri mauricien. A Maurice, nous sommes

plurilingues, nous utilisons plusieurs langues dans la vie quotidienne. Chacune de ces langues

a une importance directement proportionnelle au prestige de ses domaines d‘utilisation. Or,

ce rapport entre les langues et les domaines d‘utilisation est évolutif dépendant des

conjonctures économiques, politiques et sociales. Ainsi, si certaines langues gagnent du

terrain en termes de nombre de locuteurs et de domaines d‘utilisation, d‘autres en perdent,

comme on peut le constater à Maurice pour plusieurs langues asiatiques, dont le bhojpuri.

Cette étude vise à découvrir comment s‘articule la survie d‘une langue qui se retrouve en

situation de minorité. Une étude de cas sur le bhojpuri nous permettra de théoriser sur les

autres langues minoritaires du monde. Pour la méthodologie, nous avons opté pour une

approche mixte: outre un questionnaire fermé, nous avons conduit des interviews

individuelles et de groupe.

Keywords: Sociolinguistique, Multilingue, Langues minoritaires / Ancestrales


Reducing Loneliness and Promoting Wellbeing in Older People: A Case Study of the

Mauritian Society

N. Maherally, R. Suntoo


Objectives: The main purpose of this paper is to provide the strategies to reduce loneliness in

older people. It also seeks to promote the mechanisms which improve wellbeing in older

adults.

Scope: The scope of this study is limited to analyse loneliness and wellbeing among

Mauritian older adults only.

Methodology: This study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods to facilitate

the generation of the research objectives. Surveys and Unstructured interviews were used to

collect data from participants.

Results: Overall, the findings depict that most of the older people still feel socially isolated in

Mauritius. The older adults have argued that they need social support, advice and friendship

from a professional provider so that they can view themselves as assets for society and

consequently boost their self-esteem and wellbeing.

Originality: This study contributes to knowledge by providing an in-depth analysis of the

subject matter in the Mauritian context. Authorities may use these strategies to combat

loneliness among Mauritian older people by devising better service provision for the ageing

population.

Keywords: Loneliness, Wellbeing, Older people, Mauritian, Society


Factors Influencing the Acceptance of Online Shopping in Mauritius: A Structural

Equation Modelling

C. Lafleur, V. Ramesh, V. C. Jaunky

University of Mauritius / REVA University

Online shopping or online stores (e-stores) are growing rapidly in Mauritius. Contributing

factors includes, personality traits, shopping orientation, shopping motivation, normative

beliefs, past online experience, information available, e-satisfaction, e-loyalty and post

purchase evaluation. Gen-Z is fully influenced by the online shopping, since e-stores are

very expedient and user friendly. This is due to rapid growth and extended reach of adopting

internet technology for e-commerce and trade. This study identifies and examines the

influencing factors for accepting online shopping by the consumers and customers in

Mauritius. A random sample was collected with the help of a well-structured questionnaire

from people who have been buying goods/services though e-stores. The study tries to

examine the reasons for this deviation from typical consumer behaviour adopting Consumer

Decision Making Model (CDMM), Online Shopping Acceptance Model (OSAM) and

SERVQUAL. This study draws on the research results for implications for e-customers,

website shopping management and design, academicians, and also suggests the ways to

enhance the e-shopping industry. The theory has been empirically tested with primary data.

For the purpose of the study, we have used the software IBM SPSS AMOS and employed

exploratory factor analysis, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), and Confirmatory Factor

Analysis (CFA) and find that e-consumers/ e-customers behave very differently from

consumers in other countries or countries that have adopted online shopping on a wide scale

especially with reference to e-loyalty and e-trust.

Key Words: e-stores, Personality Traits, Shopping Orientation, Gen-Z, e-commerce.


SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING


Technology Needs Assessment for Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change and

Climate Variability in the Water Sector in Mauritius

M. D. Nowbuth, P. N. K. Deenapanray


Mauritius is already recording the adverse impacts of climate change and the need to adapt to

climate change is already been recognized. One sector which is considered as crucial for an

island like Mauritius, an island isolated from others, is the water sector. Water resource is not

only for sustaining livelihood but also a key driver of the economy. While the long term

pattern indicates a drop in annual rainfall recorded, the island is also recording flood rainfall

events. Both these patterns, impact on the natural storage and recharge of water in the

environment. So the need to adapt to climate change in the water sector is a reality. A

detailed study was carried out to assess the technology needed to support adaptation in the

water sector. The methodology was based upon a systematic approach for identifying and

prioritizing adaptation technologies, this study being part of a bigger national project.


Enhanced Nitrogen Removal in Horizontal Sub-Surface Constructed Wetland

(HSSFCWs)

P. Koonjoo, A. K. Ragen


This study investigates the enhancement of ammonia removal in horizontal subsurface flow

constructed wetland (HSSFCW) through aeration. One aerated and one non-aerated (as

control) HSSFCW were fed with synthetic water having different ammonia loading rates

(NLR) ranging from 1.15 to 2.37 g/d.m3 at a hydraulic retention time of 1.1 days for 24

weeks. The performances of both beds were assessed in terms of ammonia removal efficiency

through analysis of inlet and outlet samples collected on a weekly basis. The results showed

that ammonia was efficiently removed in the aerated wetland with mean removal efficiency

of 97.9 % which was 28 % higher than in the non-aerated HSSFCW. Pearson correlation

showed that ammonia removal efficiency was dependent on NLR in the aerated system. The

data fitted well the 1st order plug flow model with R2-value of 0.82 and 0.55 for the non-

aerated and aerated bed, respectively.

Key words: Horizontal sub-surface constructed wetland, artificial aeration, Nitrogen

removal, Ammonia removal


Application of Molecular Tools for Understanding Coral Adaptation in a Changing

Climate

L. D. Yohan, B. Ranjeet, S. Davide, G. Paolo, V. Marina, D. D. Sabrina


Coral reefs are estimated to generate around US$30 billion to the global economy yearly

through tourism, coastal protection, and food (Cesar et al., 2003). Tourism, particularly,

contributes significantly to economic growth of Small Island Development States (SIDS) and

has been a key factor in the development of Mauritius. However, climate change poses

unprecedented threats to corals reefs. Corals are bleaching and dying following anomalously

high water temperatures (De‘ath et al., 2012) and traditional reef management techniques are

being outpaced (Rinkevich, 2015). In this study, we employed modern molecular techniques

(genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics) to further our understanding of corals‘ adaptive

response to climate change. Our results suggest that corals regulate their gene and protein

expression to adapt to different environmental conditions. Understanding these coral

responses provides insight into mechanisms that confer resilience to bleaching. Such studies

are primordial as there is the necessity to start implementing molecular tools to increase the

efficiency of traditional reef restoration techniques.

Keywords: Coral reefs, climate change, molecular tools, coral adaptation.


Ocean Acidification Investigation using iSAMI pH Sensor and Spectrophotometric

Method in Flic-en-Flac and Albion Lagoons, Mauritius

R. T. Ramessur, K. Boodhoo, S. Burkutally, S. M. R. Venkatasawmy


The main objective of this paper is to describe some methods used to study ocean

acidification at Flic en Flac and Albion lagoons, Mauritius taking into account the current

state in terms of pH of seawater in the selected areas as an ongoing part of the ApHRICA

Project (OceAn pHResearch Integration and Collaboration in Africa) initiated in July 2016-

July 2017 in Mauritius under GOA-ON (Global Ocean Acidification- Observing Network),

The Ocean Foundation (Washington D.C) and NOAA Ocean Acidification Program. An

effective sampling program has been designed in view of measuring pH at the 2 sites

mentioned above using sensor and spectrophotometric methods (Dickson, 2010). Sampling

were spread over wet and dry months from June 2017- December 2017 and the mean values

of pH determined in Flic en Flac lagoon for June 2017 (dry month) was 8.295 ± 0.012 and

8.058 ± 0.023 for December 2017 (wet month) respectively following deployment of the

iSAMI (inexpensive submersible autonomous moored instrument) pH Sensor (Sunburst

Sensors, U.S) at salinity 35‰. The pH determined spectrophotometrically using the dye

cresol method for Albion lagoon in January 2018 was 8.06± 0.02 at salinity 32‰. As

suitable experiments are being designed to understand ecological consequences of ocean

acidification, it is important that the chemistry of CO2 be well characterised at this

preliminary stage involving both analysis and field measurements that are undertaken in line

with the relative merits of the various analytical techniques available for both sites.

Keywords: Ocean Acidification, pH, iSAMI pH sensor, Seawater


Teaching and Learning Programming through Circuitry and Robotics: Insights from a

Comparative Analysis

V. Dawarka, G. Bekaroo

Charles Telfair Institute / Middlesex University Mauritius

Robotics and circuitry are both inspiring, motivational and effective for students to learn

programming (Fagin, B. and Merkle, L., 1994). Contemporary robotics and circuitry offer an

opportunity to students from Generation Z (born during 1995-2012) in learning programming

in a more intuitive way, since this group grew up in an era of technology consciousness

(Turner, 2015).With traditional teaching methods, students face difficulties in learning

programming that involves circuitry thus leading to dis-interest in the subject (Burbaite et al.,

2013). However, the main problem with circuit boards is that the wires get faulty easily due

to fluctuating voltages (Asmus, 2018) and often students lose time in debugging the codes

when the actual problem is in the wires (Graven et al., 2016). Since coding is becoming the

most in-demand skill across industries (Dishman, 2018), there is a need to innovate teaching

and learning in this field. To address these issues, a comparative analysis has been conducted

in this study to critically review work done to address difficulties in learning programming

that involves circuitry in microcontrollers when developing robots. The key findings of this

study are expected to produce a better guide for students in studying programming with

microcontrollers to develop robots and will help them identify issues related with short

circuited wires easily.

Keywords: Robotics, Pedagogy, Programming, Circuitry, Microcontrollers


The Teaching of Computing through a Multi-Grade Approach with the Use of a Grid-

Based Tool in Upper Secondary Education

C. Cuniah


The relevance of this study is to investigate on a pedagogical approach and the use of a tool

to support students‘ individual programming codes. The purpose is to form a multi-grade

cluster of students to teach computer-programming codes using a grid-based tool to record

programming errors and monitors the students‘ learning progress in a secondary school. The

research method is content analysis of the students‘ programming scripts. The experiment

involved 27 homogeneous students taking computer science in grade 11 and 12. An initial

evaluation on writing programming codes was conducted prior to the implementation of the

multi-grade approach. This was compared to their final scores obtained after implementation.

This paper represents a synthesis of qualitative and quantitative researches for the multi-grade

model with a grid-based tool. The study reveals the projections of pertinent feedbacks

formulated by their peers. A radical decline is also noted in the number of programming

errors compared to previous scoring sheets.

Keywords: Multi-grade, Grid-based tool, Programming codes, Programming errors, Content

analysis


Recent Advances on Sensor Technologies for Monitoring Diabetes Patients

G. Huzooree, K. K. Khedo, N. Joonas

Charles Telfair Institute / University of Mauritius

The unprecedented advancement in healthcare technologies has led to the development of

numerous wearable and miniaturized sensors to enhance the patients‘ quality of life and to

prevent the risk of complications of diabetes (Chen et al., 2017; Huzooree et al., 2017). These

sensor technologies offer innovative and promising pervasive healthcare applications by

continuously monitoring human‘s physiological vital signs (Huzooree et al., 2016). Emerging

non-invasive sensors and blood glucose monitoring techniques are currently being developed

through the analysis of tear, sweat, saliva, breath and urine (Tricoli et al., 2017; Zhang et al.,

2011). This research work aims at categorizing the different sensor technologies for glucose

monitoring, physical activity and food intake. A comparison of the different sensor

technologies for diabetes monitoring is made on various important categories such as

accuracy, performance and ergonomics. A comprehensive evaluation is then conducted on

key factors such as cost, calibration time and adoption rate. Potential opportunities, future

works and challenges for the further development of diabetes sensor technologies are

discussed.

Keywords: Sensors, Diabetes, Glucose Monitoring Techniques, Pervasive Healthcare

Systems


Evaluation of Phytochemical Contents and In-Vitro Bioactivity of Aloe Species Endemic

to South West Indian Ocean Islands

L. Lallemand, H. Rim, D. Narrain, G. Stanislas, L. Gence, C. Frechina, I. Grondin, C.

Lavergne, H. Kodja, T. Bahorun, M. Cesari

Université d’Antanarivo / Université de La Reunion / University of Mauritius

Objective: To investigate the phytochemical contents and the in-vitro bioactivity of 12Aloe

species endemic to the South West Indian Ocean islands, in comparison to the well-known

Aloe Vera.

Scope of work: Aloe extracts were prepared using solvents with different polarities. The

phytochemical contents of the polar fraction were quantified and the most prominent

compounds were determined using high performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant

activities were evaluated using a battery of antioxidant assays. Anti-microbial activities were

assessed using the disc-diffusion assay. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using

murine RAW-Blue™ cells exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

Results: Aloe species endemic to Mauritius (Aloe purpurea), Reunion Island (Aloe purpurea)

and Madagascar (Aloe macroclada) had significantly higher phytochemical contents and

more pronounced antioxidant activities than Aloe vera. Iso-orientin, vitexin, aloin B, aloin A

and aloe-emodinwere the most prominent compounds detected. Moreover, A. Purpurea of

Reunion Island exhibited remarkable protective activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Endemic Aloe extracts also decreased expression of Secreted Embryonic Alkaline

Phosphatase (SEAP) in LPS-induced NF-κB activation in murine RAW-Blue™ cells,

indicating anti-inflammatory activity.

Conclusion: In comparison to Aloe Vera, the endemic Aloe species of the South West Indian

Ocean islands represent great potential for use as nutraceuticals.

Keywords: Aloe species, Polyphenols, Antioxidant, Anti-microbial, Anti-inflammatory

activities


Synthesis, Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Amino Acid Based Surfactants

N. Joondan, S. J. Laulloo, P. Caumul


Amino acid based surfactants are considered to be a safer alternative to conventional

surfactants and have attracted widespread attention due to their relatively low toxicity,

hypoallergenic, low irritancy, and high biodegradability (Joondan et al., 2017). This study

involves the synthesis, physicochemical properties and biological activities of amino acid

based surfactants. The antibacterial activity was found to be influenced by both chain length

and nature of the head group (Joondan et al., 2014). The quaternary ammonium analogues

displayed better activity than their ester hydrochloride salts. The quaternary ammonium

derivatives of proline and phenylalaninyl-proline surfactants were found to display optimum

antibacterial activities. Investigation of these surfactants in mixed micellar systems displayed

optimum antibacterial properties, lower ocular irritation and good foaming abilities at

particular mole fractions. Overall, the study shows that the mixtures containing quaternary

ammonium derivatives of proline and phenylalanine-proline can be employed as potential

ingredients in cosmetics and detergent-like formulations.


Metatranscriptomics analysis of mangroves habitats around Mauritius

S. Rampadarath, K. Bandhoa, D. Puchooa, R. Jeewon, S. Bal


Mangroves are unique but endangered coastal ecosystems that play a vital role in the tropical

and subtropical environments. Mauritius has two species of mangroves,

Bruguieragymnorrhiza (L.) Lam. and Rhizophoramucronata Lam., growing along its coast

(Appadoo, 2003). The mangrove rhizosphere harbours a diverse microbial community and

the use of RNA-sequencing can reveal both the taxonomic composition and active

biochemical functions of the complex microbial community (Alzubaidy et al. 2016; Jean et

al., 2015). Metatranscriptomic study was carried out by comparing the microbial community

of rhizospheremicrobiomes sediments from the 2 mangroves species. The study also included

a comparison between a natural and a man grown mangrove microbiome. Overall, samples

showed predominance by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, with high abundance

of sulphate reducers, nitrogen reducers and methanogens. Significant difference was,

however, noted at both taxonomic and functional levels among the mangroves species. The

data also indicate that the microbial core involved in methane, nitrogen, and sulphur

metabolism consisted mainly of Burkholderiaceae, Planctomycetaceae, Rhodobacteraceae,

and Desulfobacteraceae. Also, genes encoding enzymes involved in carbon cycling, the

metabolism of nitrogen, methane and sulphur were dominant in the rhizosphere of the natural

mangrove ecosystem. To our knowledge, this is a first metatranscriptomic study on the

microbiome of mangroves in the Mauritius, and our results provide the first insights in the

range of functions and microbial diversity of the local mangrove species.

Keywords: Bruguieragymnorrhiza, Enzymes, Genes, Mangroves, Metatranscriptomics,

Rhizophoramucronate


The Marine Red Algae (Rhodophyta) as Nutritional and Functional Food Sources

(Indian Ocean, Mauritius)

D. D. Sumputh, J. G-Soulange,V. R. Sanmukhiya, V. Bhoyroo,


Recently, a great deal of interest has been shown on Marine Red Algae (Rhodophyta)

especially because of the current tendency towards using natural products which the oceans

offer (Arad et al., 1992), reported that there are 56 genera of red seaweeds but only five major

edible genera of red seaweeds, including Porphyra, Palmaria, Gracilaria, Gelidiumand

Kappaphycus, have been introduced and cultivated in Asia. The demand for red seaweeds as

food has extended throughout various countries, thus emphasizing the food industry to grow

concern for its natural functional ingredients. Seaweeds extract including phycoerythrin,

chlorophyll a, b, and c, β-carotene, phycocyanin, xantophylls and carrageenan have gained

importance for their several properties and are widely used as food additives in a variety of

food products including salad dressings, dietetic foods and infant formula amongst others.

This study will focus on the novel strains from red algae which need to be explored for

natural functional ingredients so as to meet the high demand as natural food additives.

Keywords: Red Algae, Food Additives, Nutritional, Marine, Mauritius


Determination of the Microbial Profile of Effective Microorganisms (EM) and its

Potential for Manure Decontamination

D. Dooly, G. Liu, K. Boodhoo, G. Steel, K. Steel, Y. Li, H. Neetoo


Cattle manure harbors zoonotic pathogens such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Control

of pathogens in manure can be achieved by treatment with Effective Microorganisms (EM).

The objectives of this study were to determine the microbial profile of commercial EM,

assess effectiveness of EM to reduce the E. coli load in manure and compare the prevalence

of E. coli and Salmonella in untreated and EM-treated manure. Culturing of EM revealed

population density of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, actinomycetes and phototrophic bacteria of

6.9, 5.2, 5.9 and 3.9 log cfu/g respectively. Lactobacillus plantarum, L. parabuchneri and L.

casei (LAB) and Yarrowia lipolytica, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Picha manshurica

(yeasts) were identified by molecular methods. EM significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the E.

coli load by 4.1 log cfu/g after three weeks. Moreover, no pathogens were detected in EM-

treated manure after 4 weeks. This study highlights the potential of EM for animal waste

decontamination.

Keywords: Effective microorganisms, manure, pathogens


Behaviour of Low Voltage Network during Fault Conditions in the Presence of Small

Scale Distributed Generation

I. A. Essackjee, R. T. F Ah King


Government is democratizing the production of electricity through different schemes,

including the Small Scale Distributed Generation (SSDG). Various benefits are associated

with distributed generation especially at large scale whereby the utility has control on the

generating units and advanced protection schemes are used. For smaller units distributed on

the low voltage customer side, no such control and protection schemes are present; putting

the network at risk (Hassan et al., 2017). The current penetration level is quite low in

Mauritius but with time, the level is bound to rise. In this study, an actual low voltage

network is modelled using Dig SILENT Power Factory® which enables the observation of

the behaviour of the network during fault conditions in the presence of SSDG and the

contribution of these units. The impact of increasing penetration is also assessed so as to

determine the maximum network absorption while keeping the low voltage power system

operating safely.

Keywords: Small Scale Distributed Generation, Protection Low Voltage, Maximum

Penetration Level, Optimum Integration.


Mechanical and chemical properties of PANDANUS fibres as a potential reinforcing

material for bio-composites.

B. H. Rafidison, H. Ramasawmy, J. Chummun, F. B.V. Florens


Mechanical and chemical properties of Pandanus fibres have been studied for use as a

potential reinforcement in bio-composite materials. Natural fibres have become attractive to

researchers, due to their low cost, relatively good mechanical properties and eco-friendly

characteristics. They are now being exploited in replacement of glass fibres. In this study, the

following parameters that could influence the fibre tensile strength have been investigated:

age of plant, leaf maturity, exposure to sunlight, plant species, and the position of fibre along

a leaf. The fibre cross-section area was assessed more accurately using image pixel analysis

which, together with the tensile tests and SEM, revealed two types of fibres, thin and thick;

the tensile strength of which is inversely proportional to the cross-section area. It was noted

that Pandanus iceryii untreated fibres from younger leaves of about 5 years old tree and

which are well exposed to sunlight have the highest tensile strength (275 MPa) among the

tested species.

Keywords: Pandanus, thin fibre, thick fibre, elementary fibre, tensile strength, cross-section

area, weak bond.


Delayed Ettringite Formation in Concrete with Fly Ash as Partial Replacement to

Cement

M. Conhyea, R. Goodary


The aim of this research is to investigate the variation of temperature within a concrete mass

with 15% fly ash as partial replacement to cement. A rise in temperature of above 65oC in the

concrete structure during its early life can result to delayed ettringite formation which

eventually causes cracking and excessive expansion of concrete. In this study, a reinforced

concrete mock up model (2x2x1.5m) has been used to monitor the evolution of temperature

inside the model at depths of 100, 750 and 1400 mm from the base. Temperatures within the

concrete mass during the curing phase are automatically recorded at every one-hour interval

with a thermocouple with 4 channels equipped with a software. At each level, 240

temperature values have been recorded for a duration of 10 days. Temperatures at levels

100mm and 1400mm are within acceptable limits in the range of 35-64.3oC and 31.2-60.9C

respectively. At core level 750mm, the temperature reached 78.7oCat the age of 32hours

which might be due to initial temperature of materials which indicates the necessity of

cooling the initial mix. Further investigation, using cooled mix is currently underway and

conclusive results will be published at a later stage.

Keywords: Fly Ash, Ettringite, Delayed Ettringite Formation


Efficiency in the Mauritian Water Industry: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis

S. Thanacoody

Charles Telfair Institute

In a context of population growth and increasing demand for water, there is a strong need for

defining a national water policy in view of allocating water more efficiently (Ministry of

Energy and Public Utilities, 2014). Even though water demand analyses have been conducted

(Peeroo et al., 2016), an analytical framework for water supply is yet to be defined.

This analysis aims at filling the gap by analysing the causes of inefficiency in the supply

segment of the water industry in Mauritius. The impact of regulation and governance

structure is determined using a Stochastic Frontier Analysis with a Cobb-Douglas production

function and reduced form model (Di Cosmo, 2013; Garcia et al., 2007). The technical

efficiency of the Central Water Authority‘s operations is then computed using an original

dataset (Philipps, 2013).

This paper will assess the nature of returns to scale in view of making policy

recommendations on water tariffs, rate of return allowed and the type of ownership. If returns

to scale are increasing, higher rates of return and higher tariffs would be recommended to

reduce inefficiency.

Keywords: Technical Efficiency, Stochastic Frontier Analysis, Water Industry, Regulation


Multivariate Discrete-Valued Time Series Models for Transport and Social Problems

N. Mamode-Khan, Y. Sunecher, V. Jowaheer

University of Mauritius / University of Technology, Mauritius

Currently, road accidents and larceny incidences are some of the major problems leading to

deaths and insecurity in Mauritius. Up to now, the concerned authorities are struggling to

alleviate these problems but are not really tapping on the available resources that could guide

them more effectively to relevant measures. The available digests treating these issues only

provide descriptive displays and time series plots whilst some inferential studies could be

conducted to conclude on the significance of the contributory effects of some probabilistic

factors influencing these problems. In this context, this paper proposes a multivariate

discrete-valued time series model (Pedeli et al., 2011; Mamode Khan et al., 2016) that could

be used effectively in measuring the effects of some explanatory variables influencing these

incidences while also establishing some forecasting measures to guide policy makers.

Keywords: Road Accidents, Larceny, Time Series, Multivariate.


Simulations of air-water two-phase flow patterns in a horizontal tube

D. Juggurnath, M. K. Elahee1, M. Z. Dauhoo, A. Khoodaruth


Flow pattern which is the geometric distribution of phases in a test section, is known to affect

both heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of multiphase flow. The resulting flow pattern

depends on flow velocity, pipe characteristics, fluid properties and force effects. This work

analyses different flow patterns taking place in a horizontal tube numerically. Volume of

fluid method is used to simulate air-water flow in a tube of diameter 0.051 m and length 2 m.

The simulations are carried out by varying superficial air and water velocities, as given in the

well-known Barnea flow pattern map (Barnea, 1987). The simulated flow regimes are

stratified, intermittent, bubbly and annular flow. The simulations, which are validated against

the Barnea flow pattern map, are performed using a commercial CFD solver, ANSYS Fluent

18.0.

Keywords: Air-Water, Flow Patterns, Horizontal Tube, CFD Simulations


Pyrethroids application on vegetable in Mauritius, a means to control major pests and

enhance crop production

V. S. Chummun


Sugarcane was the hub of the Mauritian Agriculture and at some point in time; Mauritius was

among the ten largest sugar exporters towards the European Union. However, the Mauritian

agriculture is now shifting towards the growing of vegetables and fruits in a means to reduce

the net importing figures of fruits and vegetables and concentrate towards local production. In

an effort to adapt to challenges facing the agricultural sector, governmental and non-

governmental organizations have been consistently promoting pesticides as a yield

augmenting and pest and disease combating means. Moreover, the extensive use of chemical

pesticides in agriculture has also led to an increase in pest‘ resistance, serious environmental

contamination, toxic residue accumulation and negative impacts on non-target organisms

coupled with the extinction of certain beneficial organisms. A study was conducted, where

300 farmers coming from the nine different districts in Mauritius were interviewed on the

excessive and haphazard use of pesticides. The main objective of the survey was to determine

the main factors motivating farmers to use pesticides. The findings from the survey

demonstrated that more than 90 % of vegetable growers used pyrethroids group of pesticides.

A factor analysis was conducted and the results showed that influence by fellow farmers was

the main factor influencing farmers to use pesticides.

Keywords: Pesticides, Pyrethroids, Mauritius, Crop production, Pests and Diseases, Food

Security


Marrying Traditional and Conventional Knowledge for a Sustainable Approach to

Agriculture

V. Ramborun, S. Facknath, B. Lalljee


Agricultural production in the island of Mauritius is practised with high inputs of

agrochemicals.

A survey carried out as part of this study showed that 100% of the farmers interviewed used

considerable amounts of fertilizer to bolster their agricultural production. Pesticide use was

also high. On one hand, this makes the cost of production fairly high, and on the other, can

lead to environmental and health implications.

The present work investigates the effectiveness of combining traditional knowledge with

conventional practices for maize production with a view to making it more environmentally

friendly, economically viable, and socially equitable.

The treatments incorporated minimum tillage, fertilizer application at 120kg/ha, and full

coverage mulching applied in a 4x3x2 factorial design. Parameters included biomass, plant

height, and fresh grain weight and weight of cobs. Data was collected for several seasons.

The latest findings have shown that the synergies between the traditional and conventional

practices increased maize yield from 1t\ha to 15 t\ha and up to a maximum of 18 t\ha.

The implications of this approach for sustainability of food production will be discussed.

Keywords: Traditional knowledge, Sustainable maize production, Mulching, Minimum

fertilizer


Kitchen towel as risk factor for home-based food poisoning.

V. Moodelly, S. D. Biranjia-Hurdoyal


Cross contamination in the kitchen could contribute to home-based food poisoning. This

study aimed at investigating the potential role of kitchen towels in cross contamination in the

kitchen. Method: A total of 100 kitchen towels were collected after one month of use. The

bacteria were cultured and identified by standard biochemical tests. Result: Bacterial growth

was found in 49% of the kitchen towels and significantly increased by size of family,

extended family and presence on children. Multipurpose towels had higher CFU than single

use towels (1.31 x 107 vs 6.60 x 104; p<0.05) and humid towels had higher CFU than dry

ones (4.8 x 105 vs 0.5x 105; p<0.05). Out of the 49 samples which were positive for bacterial

growth, 36.7% grew coliforms, 36.7% Enterococcus spp., 30.6% Pseudomonas spp., 28.6%

grew Bacillus spp., 14.3% S. aureus., 4.1% Proteus spp., 2.0% coagulase negative

Staphylococcus. Furthermore, S. aureus was isolated at higher rate from families of lower

socio-economic status (p<0.05) and those with children (p<0.05). The risk of having

coliforms was twice on humid towels than the dried ones. Conclusion: This study concludes

that kitchen towels could be very important source bacterial contamination which could

contribute to food poisoning. The multipurpose usage of kitchen towels should be

discouraged.

Keywords: Kitchen Hygiene, Cross Contamination, Food Poisoning, Bacteria


A Study on the Prevalence of Campylobacter spp. on Fresh Chicken sold in Retail

Outlets of Mauritius

T. Narrainen, H. Neetoo


Chicken is the second most consumed meat after pork, but is also a major reservoir of

disease-causing bacterium Campylobacter. The objectives of the study were to (i) compare

the level of Campylobacter spp in fresh chicken sold in different retail outlets (wet markets,

chilled outlets, supermarkets and backyard vendors) during summer, transition and winter

months (ii) evaluate the survival of Campylobacter sold under chilled conditions and (iii)

determine the temperature profile of chillers where fresh chicken are displayed for sale.

Laboratory analyses revealed bacterial populations of 3-4 log cfu/g in chicken sold at the

various outlets through the different seasons. Campylobacter was also found to survive for >

5 days during refrigerated storage at 4°C. Temperature of chillers varied widely from 1-6°C

and occasionally reached abusive levels. This study underscores the need for concerted action

by stakeholders in the fresh chicken supply chain in their efforts to control Campylobacter

contamination.

Keywords: Chicken; Campylobacter; Outlet; Season


Microbial Modeling for Shelf-Life Prediction of Cooked Tuna

H. Neetoo


Tuna loins are widely consumed in Mauritius due to their relatively low price and high

protein content. However, cooked tuna is known to harbour the disease-causing agent Listeria

monocytogenes, which grows over a wide temperature range. During storage, distribution and

retailing of tuna loins, they are often exposed to abusive temperatures, which can impact on

the overall safety of the product. The purpose of this research was to use mathematical

models to predict the growth of L. monocytogenes in tuna meat during refrigerated storage

and ultimately estimate its shelf life. Mathematical models had a reasonable goodness of fit

(R2 of 0.916-0.968) and estimated the shelf life of unopened packages of cooked tuna to be

8-15 days depending on the prevailing storage temperature. Models developed in this study

may be useful tools to predict growth of other disease-causing bacteria in tuna products and

have wide practical applications for the seafood industry.

Keywords: Tuna; Listeria monocytogenes; Modeling; Predictive Microbiology


Identification of Barriers to Effective Road Safety Strategy Development in Developing

Countries – Mauritius a case-study

R. Beeharry, R. Goodary, V. Ratanavaraha

Université des Mascareignes / University of Technology, Mauritius

Road traffic accidents are a major cause of death and injuries worldwide, but while declining

in the developed world, fatalities are still on the rise in many developing countries. This

paper explores the reasons for the persistence of road safety problems in Mauritius as a case-

study. The proper identification of dangerous road locations is of prime importance and

developed countries have successfully applied many scientific methodologies for this

purpose. In Mauritius identification of hazardous locations depends solely on observation of

crash frequencies over time, this is not among best practices. Road traffic crashes are

complex multi-factor events and methodological advances have enabled the development of

multivariate models capable of more precisely determining the influence of these factors. In

Mauritius, accident data analysis is mostly limited to descriptive statistics, model-based

analytical methods in accident research is inexistent which hinders efficiency in policy

development. Massive data is being collected for development of a regression model for road

crashes in Mauritius. Improvement of local accident data quality and accessibility are

prerequisites.

Keywords: Hazardous road location, Accident analysis research, Data quality, Multi-factor

event


Data Analytics of Road Traffic Crowdsensing Application

S. Armoogum, M. Mohoboob, S. Munchetty-Chendriah


Crowdsensing applications are becoming more popular with time. In this work, we present a

crowdsensing application for capturing road traffic information to help citizens to get real-

time traffic condition. Such real-time information can be beneficial for citizens to plan their

journeys. However, crowdsensing in this specific case, generates spatio-temporal data

collected from numerous users; storing and processing such data in real-time can be quite

challenging. The MapReduce programming approach has been proposed for processing data

in this context (Dawei et al., 2010). The MapReduce jobs used to process and analyse the

data captured from the crowdsensing application are presented as well as the design of the

crowdsensing application. Implementation of the MapReduce jobs proposed shows that data

can be effectively processed and analysed to present near real-time information about the

road traffic flow while at the same time discarding used data which is no longer required.

Future works involve deploying the crowdsensing mobile app on a large scale to gather real

data on a longer period of time which can be analysed to make realistic predictions about the

road traffic i.e. on rainy days, during school holidays.

Keywords: Crowdsensing; Big Data; MapReduce; Spatio-temporal data; Data analysis


Speech to Sign Language Translator

N. Shankhur, Dr G. Suddul


Hearing loss refers to the partial or total inability to hear. About 2-3 out of every 1000

children are born with complete hear loss or detectable level of hearing loss (Gaffney et al.,

2010). Deaf people have difficulty to communicate which may leads to frustrations,

depression and low level of confidence (Hersh et al., 2013). While various approaches have

been proposed (Plomp et al., 1999), still in Mauritius, the outcomes are difficult to

implement. The equipments used are very expensive and sometimes, it is difficult to have

those technologies ready for everybody. The aim is to fill the communication gap between a

deaf and a hearing person. We have developed a mobile phone application that translates

speech to sign language. When a person talks to a deaf person the software converts the voice

into sign language video which the deaf person can see and understand. The future work

involves adding a sign language to speech functionality and a learning section where the deaf

person can improve his/her skills and learn new sign languages other than Mauritian Sign

Language (MSL).

Keywords: Hearing Loss, Sign Language, Translator, Mobile Application


MoTicket: A QR code based mobile-ticket for Bus Payment via Smart Phone for

Mauritius

D. Gopaul, S. Armoogum


E-tickets and Mobile tickets are widely used across the world for travel by air, intercity trains

and coaches. For daily commutes, smart cards are popular e.g. Oyster card in London, Opal

cards in Sydney Transport with Opal Card, available at

https://www.sydneycloseup.com/opal-card/], and Octopus card in Hong Kong. These smart

travel cards are re-usable and can be easily topped up. Commuters access public

transportation by touching-in on card readers on the bus/tram or at the entry of underground

trains. Smart travel card systems though involve a large investment. Smart phones are an

inherent part of human‘s life and Mauritius is no exception. A mobile app (MoTicket) is

proposed that allows citizens to enter their start and destination stop, get information about

bus routes serving the requested journey as well as ticket price for the selected type i.e. adult,

child and student. The user can then purchase the ticket using his/her credit card at any time

before travel after which a QR code based mobile ticket is generated for the user. When

alighting the appropriate bus which is equipped with a smart phone with a QR code reader

mobile app, the traveller only has to get his/her mobile ticket scanned to validate the ticket.

Such a system is economically feasible and has several benefits for Mauritius. Data

inherently collected in the long run can be further analyzed to help bus companies to organize

their bus schedule.

Keywords: Smart travel card; Mobile App; mobile ticket; QR code


A Smart Autonomous Mobile Guide for Heritage Sites in Port Louis

N. Shankhur, R. Cally, Dr G. Suddul, C. Forest, V. Mugon

University of Technology, Mauritius / Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund

For different reasons, the inhabitants of Mauritius are not aware of Port Louis as a historical

city. Such a discrepancy between local perceptions and the necessities of an adequate heritage

protection complicates the management and conservation work of historical and heritage sites

in Port Louis. Each week tour walks are organised by Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund (AGTF) in

Port Louis. The guide person has to master several languages and narrates the history of

every sites in the tour. Due to noise a lot of information is loss and communication is poor.

With the increase of digital personal assistant on smartphones, we designed and developed a

smartmap-based navigation mobile application for AGTF that provides guided tour to

autonomously. The aim is to raise awareness on the heritage values existing in Port Louis for

Mauritian and Tourists and to diversify cultural attractions in the city centre. The user can

choose between Guide Mode and Unguided mode. Guide mode consists of pre-defined paths

where the user can select a desired heritage walk. Unguided mode is a free roam approach

where the user can select which heritage site he/she wants to visit, the mobile application

generates an itinerary from the user current location to the selected site and displays it on the

map. The application also has multi-lingual support.

Keywords: Aapravasi Ghat, Tourist Guide, Mobile Application, Map, Heritage Site


Mauritius Deuterium Telescope

V. Prayag


The Mauritius Deuterium Telescope (MDT) is an upcoming Low Frequency radio telescope

in the Southern Hemisphere. One of the objectives of the MDT is to usher in a new era of

radio astronomy observation in Mauritius. Most of the telescope‘s observing time is devoted

to the study of Deuterium in the Local Galaxy. The radio spectral line of the element is a

radio astronomy reserved band of 322-328.6 MHz. By using a protected band, issues of radio

frequency interference should in principle be kept to a minimum by acting as a deterrent to

spurious emissions from civilian activities. Multiple stations of low-cost Yagi antennas will

be used. The operating bandwidth will be in the range of ∼300 MHz-∼350 MHz. The

instrument and each station will be modular in nature. A station will be able to function in its

own right. Subsets of the whole instrument could also be used. The instrument is following

the current trend of radio telescopes in radio astronomy.

Keywords: SKA, Deuterium, Mauritius Deuterium Telescope


A GPU-based processing pipeline for the Mauritius Deuterium Telescope

N. Ragoomundun & G. K. Beeharry


The Mauritius Deuterium Telescope (MDT) is a project to build a radio telescope in

Mauritius to observe the deuterium spin-flip transition line at 327 MHz. It is very relevant as

Mauritius will host one of the Square Kilometre Array's stations. We are proposing a data

pipeline for the MDT based on parallel computing platforms such as the GPU. Radio

interferometers require very high processing power and the GPU is a promising HPC solution

for the future large interferometers like the SKA. Our project demonstrates the applicability

of the GPU to a radio interferometer. We have designed and implemented a very fast

algorithm performing digital polyphase filtering using the GPU as filter bank. The deuterium

line observation requires a total power detector. We re-designed a square law detector in

order to implement it as a fast correlator on the GPU. These techniques can also contribute to

faster high resolution phased-array medical imaging.


Identification of Solid Wastes Contributing to Marine Pollution in Mauritius

G. Somaroo, K. D. Lakshmee, D. Ragoobur


The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the solid wastes that contributed to marine

pollution due to human activities. The solid wastes were collected at La Preneuse Beach and

from daily clean-up campaigns in collaboration with a private organization, Belle-Verte. The

solid wastes were collected for a period of 10 days and were categorized in terms of

aluminium cans, carton, glass bottles, paper, plastic bottles, plastic items, textile, tin cans and

miscellaneous. In order to facilitate the separation of the different solid wastes, a sieve system

of size 600x550x175mm (HxLxW) was designed. The sieves arrangement were in decreasing

order ranging from sizes of 2‖to 0.5‖and the solid wastes were segregated by manual

vibration. The study demonstrated that the solid wastes consisted of 36% glass bottles, 23%

plastic bottles, 10% aluminium, 9% paper, 6% plastic materials, 3% textile, 2% carton, 1%

tin cans and 10% miscellaneous.

Keywords: Marine pollution, solid wastes, segregation, sieving system


Potential of Torrefaction for upgrading wastes for energy use in Mauritius

Y. P. Rago, D. Surroop, R. Mohee


Torrefaction denotes an important thermal pre-treatment technique that can generate high-

value biofuels from wastes and thus assist in resolving energy and solid waste management

conflicts in Mauritius. This study evaluated the potential of waste torrefaction at operating

temperatures of 225 and 300°C for 1 h. Untreated and thermally treated wastes were

characterized through proximate and ultimate analyses, calorific values and mass and energy

yields. Torrefaction yielded a hydrophobic coal-like biochar with improved carbon content

and energy values at higher temperatures. Although high mass yields (above 74%) and

energy yields (over 100%) were achieved, both decreased under intense torrefaction

conditions. The low H/C and O/C ratios of torrefied biochar advocated their coal-like

behaviour and improved fuel properties. The study revealed that torrefaction produced a high

quality biochar of greater energy value compared to untreated wastes. Torrefied biochar can

potentially offset large volumes of coal in thermal treatment systems in the future.

Keywords: Municipal Solid Wastes, Torrefaction, Biochar, Energy Yield, Calorific Value


Development of a Toolbox to Facilitate Design of Solar Power Systems for Mauritius

D. Rughoo, N. Chandrasekaran

Universite des Mascareignes / McMaster University

The Toolbox developed at Sandia National Laboratory incorporates a range of well

documented mathematical models, which provide scientific insight into a number of aspects

involved in the design of solar power systems. Of first and foremost importance is to acquire

the capability to generate pre-processor input for the toolbox. As part of this strategy, the

Solar Position Algorithm (SPA), developed at NREL has been ported to evaluate parameters

like zenith and azimuth angles for several geographical locations of Mauritius. Computations

were carried out for two different seasons and for two locations, one at the University and the

other at Solar Power Plant, Bambous, Mauritius. The enormity of the task can be understood

by realizing that we need both the solar position and weather data for several locations that

would also vary with time and date. The importance of capturing such information on a high

resolution space (in order to generate Mauritius Energy Resource Map) is outlined in great

detail. Experiments were carried out using Solar Module Analyzer and the results obtained

helped us to understand the pattern of variation of design parameters. This information is

necessary for validation of the theoretical models. Sandia has implemented the package both

in python and Matlab. To understand the fundamentals better, we are using the mathematical

models, which are described in SNL documents, but in ‗C‘ programming language. Engineers

approach is more direct and an attempt has been made to generate Insolation values for

Mauritius, based on these formulations too, to serve some verification purposes. The full

scale SNL PV_LIB implementation for performing a complete scientific analysis is likely to

take at least a year or two.

Keywords: Enhanced irradiance, Enhanced global horizontal radiation, tilt angle, Tracking.


National Cancer Dataset for Mauritius

D. Sathan


Cancer is caused due to genetic changes that control the way our cells function. In Mauritius

the National cancer registry compiles data about cancer patients and their conclusion is that

cancer is on the increase. The study on cancer has shown that new cases of cancer have been

registered among inhabitants of Plaine Wilhems (Jeeanody, 2016). The question is whether

cancer in Mauritius is due to external influence such as pollution, pesticides rather than

genetic. Unfortunately the data collected by the cancer registry is too general to enable us to

answer these questions. With recent advances in the field, cancer data at the genomic level

are giving researchers opportunities to test multiple hypotheses (Furge et al., 2007). This can

also help to determine whether the causes of the rise in cancer in Mauritius can be attributed

to environmental or genetic factors. Hence it is important to genotype the cancer patients in

Mauritius and analyse the cancer genomes using existing tools to identify the proteins

responsible for the high prevalence of certain types of cancer among the Mauritian

population.


Sugar-cane bagasse derived cellulose enhances performance of polylactide and

polydioxanone electrospun scaffold for tissue engineering

H. Ramphul, A. Bhaw-Luximon, D. Jhurry


In the field of regenerative medicine, polymeric scaffolds offer the possibility to move

towards a more personalized medicine due to the potential to tailor their physico-chemical

and biological properties. Commercial cellulose acetate has been used in the fabrication of

electrospun polymeric scaffolds for skin tissue engineering applications either in neat form or

in blends (Atila et al., 2015; Nosaret al., 2016; Vatankhah et al., 2014).

We here report on the fabrication and characterization of electrospun mats composed of

cellulose extracted from sugar-cane bagasse, blended with poly (L-Lactide) (PLLA) or

polydioxanone (PDX). The goals are to enhancephysico-chemical properties and thus

improve biological performance for tissue engineering applications such as skin regeneration.

An increase in mechanical properties and cell viability (fibroblast) were observed with the

presence of different ratios of cellulose acetate.

Keywords: Skin tissue engineering, Cellulose, Electrospun nanofibers, Mouse fibroblast

cells


Quality of Life of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients in Mauritius

Z. Jannoo, N. Mamode-Khan, A. D.Soobhug, B. Cheong

University of Mauritius / 4Ministry of Health and Quality of Life

The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in the Mauritian population aged 20-74

years was 20.5%: 19.6% and 21.3% in men and women [1]. The magnitude of the diabetes

epidemic in Mauritius, coupled with diabetic complications, including heart disease, preludes

the need for increased attention. Quality of Life (QoL), also known as ‗Well Being‘, is multi-

dimensional and is the person‘s own views about the quality of his/her life. Assessment of an

individual‘s quality of life may be undertaken by the use of measurement instruments that

determine general aspects of life quality, aspects of the QoL related specifically to health

status and even more specifically to T2DM patients. Effective T2DM management and

improved QoL of patients‘ are interrelated. The measurement of QoL is an important

component in continuous improvement of chronic disease management in primary care

settings. Therefore, the study aims at examining the QoL of T2DM patients in Mauritius.

Keywords: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Mauritius, Quality of Life


Outlook on the Adoption of Improved Therapeutical Methods (Fixed Dose Combination

(FDC)) in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes

M. Y. Ozeer, M. Putteeraj, M. J. Somanah-Bhugwandeen, Y. Vuddamalay

Diabetes and Vacsular Health Centre, Souillac Hospital / University of Technology,

Mauritius

Patients with Type 2 Diabetes often require multiple medications to achieve glycaemic

control. This induces a significant pill burden when coupled with co-morbid conditions

associated to diabetes and deters adherence to treatment. Public institutions in Mauritius

support the usage of loose pills for diabetes treatment as opposed to private institutions

promoting the adoption of fixed dose combination (FDC) therapy as a means to improve

treatment efficacy. A scaled-study was conducted to explore the efficiency and patients‘

perspectives on FDC in the management of type II diabetes. 65 patients from the Diabetes

and Vascular Health Centre, were grouped according to their treatment regimen (FDC from

start, switched to FDC from loose pills, reverted to loose pills after trying FDC and loose pills

treatment), interviewed and their clinical parameters recorded. Results showed that 67.7 % of

patients were using more than 7 pills with only 30.8 % being aware of FDC options. 96.3%

patients who were on loose pills expressed their willingness to move to FDC if made

available in public institutions. Glycaemic control was better managed with FDC. Overall,

findings have shown that loose pills are a major concern when it comes to treatment

adherence and glycaemic control, latter which could be addressed by a switch to FDC.

Keywords: Fixed Dose Combination (FDC), Type II diabetes, Glycaemic control, Diabetes

management


A study of Pathological Internet Use among Mauritian Adolescents aged 15-19 years

S. Burahee, A. Jodheea-Jutton

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Regional Hospital, Ministry of Health and Quality of Life

/ University of Mauritius

Advances in technology have revolutionized the access to internet and mobile devices

increasing the risk of internet addiction (IA) especially among adolescents. This study

investigates the prevalence of the internet addiction, also known as pathological internet use

(PIU) in adolescence.

610 participants from 22 secondary schools in Mauritius filled a self-administered

questionnaire. Young‘s Internet Addiction Scale was applied. Chi-square and multilinear

regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between IA scores/ severity

and various possible predictors. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The average internet addiction score was 52.3 ± 14.3. 44.6% of adolescents were average

online users, 52.8% were occasional problematic users and 2.6% were significant

pathological users. A statistically significant negative relationship was found between

internet addiction and lack of parental supervision (p=0.017), bedtime internet use (p=0.00)

and inadequate sleep (p= 0.036).

This study highlights the role of parental supervision in the prevention of internet addition.

Key words: Internet addiction, Pathological internet use, Adolescents


Mauritian edible mushrooms as potential therapeutics in cancer chemoprevention

S. Ramsaha, V. S. Neergheen-Bhujun, T. Bahorun


Advances in chemoprevention are emerging as a rational response to the rising global

pandemic of cancer. Mushrooms have been valued as edible and medicinal resources for

thousands of years and lately these macro fungi have emerged as a treasure trove of potential

anticancer compounds. In this vein, the bioefficacy of local mushroom species namely

Pleuroussajor-caju and Agaricusbisporusin preventing tumour initiation and promotion was

assessed in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in Balb/c mice.

Mushroom extract treatment effectively halted MNU-induced liver carcinogenesis by

selectively altering oxidative stress, cellular blood composition and genomic integrity in vivo.

Mushroom protective effects were confirmed by Raman spectroscopy where, the MNU-DNA

interaction as evidenced by an intense peak at 1254 cm-1 was normalised and was not

apparent in any of the mushroom-treated and control DNA samples. These results have

unraveled the hepatoprotective and anti-carcinogenic effects of P. sajor-caju and A. Bisporus

and suggest their use as potential dietary modulators in cancer chemoprevention.

Keywords: Pleurotussajor-caju, Agaricusbisporus, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea,

Hepatocarcinogenesis


Developing an automated diagnostic and monitoring tool for diabetes using white light

and thermal imaging

S. S. D. Goorah, M. Gooroochurn, R. Nursoo


Diabetes is an important public health problem in Mauritius posing a significant health and

economic burden. Moreover the problem is compounded by the complications of diabetes

such as peripheral vascular disease leading to lower limb amputations and disability, ocular

impairment and blindness, is chaemic heart disease, myocardial infarction and deaths. This

highlights the urgent need for early non-invasive and innovative tools for the diagnosis of

diabetes and its complications. In this context, this research project has been designed for the

development of a tool for the automated diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes using white

light and thermal images. Although the project is in early stages, the preliminary findings

using a thermal camera show the presence of features in thermal images that can be

correlated to diabetic vascular changes. Methodological issues will be discussed and

preliminary findings will be presented. It is planned to further analyse, correlate and automate

the signatures obtained from the images to the stage of the diabetic condition.

Keywords: Thermal Imaging, Image Processing, Diabetes, Automated Monitoring and

Diagnosis


BUSINESS LAW & MANAGEMENT


A Spectral Element Method for Pricing Zero-Coupon Bonds and Bond Options under

the Regime-Switching Model

G. Tour, N. Thakoor, D. Y. Tangman


In this study, we consider the spectral element method for the numerical valuation of zero-

coupon bonds and European bond option prices under the Cox-Ingersoll-Ross (CIR) regime-

switching model. Following a Markov chain, the adoption of the regime-switching model is

motivated by its simple and representative way to describe the economic features observed in

real financial markets (Tour et al., 2018). Basically, the spectral element method consists of

splitting the computational spatial domain into as many elements needed depending on the

smoothness of the solution in the different parts of the domain and approximating the spatial

derivatives by high order orthogonal polynomials within each element (Tour et al, 2018).

Furthermore, for the temporal discretization, we consider the exponential time integration

(ETI) scheme to sustain the high order convergence in time. Numerical results demonstrate

that exponential convergence is achieved for the computed bond and bond prices under the

CIR regime-switching model with few grid nodes.

Keywords: Spectral Element Method, Zero-Coupon Bonds, Bond Options, Regime-

Switching, Exponential Time Integration

A Localized Mesh Approach for Derivative Pricing under the SABR Model


N. Thakoor, G. Tour, D. Y. Tangman


The Stochastic Alpha Beta Rho (SABR) (Hagan et al., 2002) is a widely used model in

financial markets due to its ability of fitting the different implied market volatility structures

(Thakoor et al., 2018). The popularity of this model stems also from the fact that the

approximate SABR implied volatility can be used in the Black-Scholes formula to price

different derivative contracts. In (Thakoor et al., 2018), it was shown that pricing via the

implied volatility results in inaccurate option prices. Barrier option prices are far from

accurate and a more accurate numerical method was developed. Monte-Carlo pricing

methodologies are computationally intensive and the framework of partial differential

equations using meshless methods is a much viable alternative because of the two

dimensional nature of the pricing equation. This work develops a new technique for SABR

using radial basis finite difference methods (Thakoor et al., 2018). The accuracy of the

computed prices is discussed and compared with the implied volatility approach. Numerical

results indicate that the localized mesh approach is an efficient computational procedure.

Keywords: SABR, Volatility Smile and Skews, Meshless Method, Local Radial Basis

Functions

The globalization of the real estate market and its influence on the tourism industry


N. Gopy-Ramdhany, B. Seetanah & R. Nunkoo


Foreign real estate investment (FREI) has been increasing over the past years, mainly due to

liberalizations and deregulations in the real estate markets. Tourism should be the next step

after FREI, given that the foreign investors will normally be visiting the home country. A

consequence of FREI is the development of new infrastructures which should also encourage

more foreigners to visit the home country. The main aim of this study is to analyze the impact

of FREI on tourism using a panel dataset of 33 countries over time period 2000 – 2016.

Given the potential dynamic and endogenous relationship in the FREI-Tourism nexus, this

paper employs a Panel Vector Autoregressive framework which also allows for long and

short run analysis. Further analysis is conducted by segregating the sample into sub-samples

of developed and developing countries. The empirical results indicate that FREI is significant

in explaining tourism in the long run in the three samples considered. Whilst verifying the

dynamic relationship, it is noted that tourism also affects FREI in a positive and significant

way.

Keywords: Tourism, Foreign Real Estate Investment, Developed, Developing

Impact of Exchange rate and Exchange rate Volatility on Foreign Direct Investment

(FDI) inflow for Mauritius: A Dynamic Time Series approach


M. P. G. Warren, S. Boopen, N. U. H. Sookia


The aim of this study is to supplement the literature on the determinants of Foreign Direct

Investment (FDI) for the case of Mauritius, a small and developing Sub-Saharan African

country. We provide evidences regarding the two main macroeconomic variables, namely,

exchange rate and exchange rate volatility. The investigation covers annual data for the

period 1976-2016, allowing interaction of other equally important indicators such as

economic openness, human capital, per capita GDP, wages and salaries, gross capital

formation and a dummy variable to access the Corporate Income Tax (CIT) reform of 2007.

The cointegration test provides strong evidence of a long-run equilibrium force that prevents

the explanatory variables from drifting apart over time. A Vector Error Correction Model

(VECM) confirms that an overvaluation of the host currency, as well as volatility in exchange

rate is negatively impacting on FDI inflow for Mauritius, particularly in the long run. This

result falls within expectation that depreciation of the Mauritian Rupee attracts FDI while a

highly volatile currency discourages FDI. Furthermore, the use of intervention dummy

variable clearly confirms the presence of a structural break, causing a sudden upward trend in

FDI inflow since 1999. The tax dummy also indicates that the CIT reform has served its

purpose in breaking down a rather complex system into a fully integrated and competitive

one, with a flat rate of 15% for all potential foreign investors.

Keywords: Exchange rate, Exchange rate volatility, Foreign Direct Investment, Vector Error

Correction Model, Mauritius


Organizational Excellence and Performance Perfection through virtuous Strategic

Planning at Mauritian Industry

R. Mudhoo, Dr. V. Ramesh

Open University of Mauritius / REVA University Bangalore

The purpose of this study is to deploy Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique to test

and empirically validate the relationship between Organizational Excellence, Performance

Perfection and adoption of significant Strategies in organizations at Mauritius. This research

question is examined in the context of service industry, manufacturing industry and

corporates from Information technology by using well-designed questionnaire. The

confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach is exploited to generate the results with the help

of software SPSS AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures). SEM has been deployed to

evaluate the original and modification indices of the model, which further establishes the

improvement in SEM`s effectiveness. The model establishes the significant impact of

strategic planning implementation on organizational excellence. Based on results in

Structural Equation Modelling, contributions of Organizational Excellence and Performance

perfection depends and strongly influenced by the Strategic Planning adopted by the

corporates. Various parameters established like tops management involvement initiatives,

employee involvement initiatives, environmental perceptions, motivation, employee

commitment and holistic strategic change. The outcome of the study will help the corporates,

management, HR department and practitioners in the industry to understand about the factors

which should be followed holistically to achieve overall organizational business excellence,

specifically at strategic level.

Keywords: SEM, Organizational Excellence, Performance Perfection, Strategies, CFA,

Planning.


A Structural Equation Model for Analyzing the Impact of E-procement in Mauritius

Public Sector

N. Bhaukaurally, Dr. V. Ramesh

Open University of Mauritius / REVA University Bangalore

E-procurement represents a very important information technology investment options for

operation or service, and have been applauded in the practitioner and academic literature for

their potential to improve business performance. Many organizations are striving to use e-

procurement systems to gain efficiency in their procurement processes, especially developing

countries like Mauritius. This research investigates and further provides insights into the

acceptance factors driving public sector enterprises to use e-procurement systems at

Mauritius. For this purpose, we determine the main benefits and barriers on the e-

procurement systems, and using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), we analyze the

effects of the barriers and benefits on the e-procurement adoption decision in public sector.

The data from public sector officials (Buyer) and private sector (Seller) at all the levels and

the general public was collected through drop off survey and expert interview. The results

are conjectured that barricades (Benefits) of e-procurement systems at public sector in

Mauritius have adverse (Constructive) effect on the adoption decision. Also, the SEM results

clearly demonstrates that there exist close interrelations among the benefits (Higher than

barriers) of implementing e-procurement systems and Public sector competence at Mauritius,

indicating that it would be beneficial for the country.

Keywords: E-procurement, information technology, investment, SEM, public sector, private

sector.


How far do the CSR activities help in building corporate image? A study of financial

institution in Mauritius

K. Odit-Dookhan


Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has a history of about 20 years in Mauritius, however,

in 2009 a new CSR law, which made this contribution mandatory, changed the CSR

landscape of Mauritius. The CSR law has encouraged the participation of the private sector in

the social development of the country and recently there has been much debate about whether

companies should be socially responsible or not and the extent to which they should be

responsible. This paper investigates whether CSR activities help in building corporate image.

Research design adopted a mixed approach using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Using stratified sampling technique the population was divided into two stratums namely:

management and the local community. A sample size of 200 respondents was used. The

research findings show that CSR activities do enhance corporate image as well as relations

between a company and its surrounding community.

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Corporate Image, Mauritius


CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND FIRM'S PERFORMANCE –

Evidence from the Hospitality Sector in Mauritius

R. B. Babajee, Dr. B. Seetanah, Dr. R. Nunkoo


The social impact of corporation is becoming a fundamental concern in business

administration (Fiori et al., 2007). Many organizations are beginning to recognize the gains

from setting up strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda. This growing attention

to CSR is mainly due to its capability to impact upon firm‘s performance. This paper assesses

the causal relationship between CSR activities and corporate financial performance for the

case of a sample of 43 hotels in Mauritius over the period 2009 to 2016. The research

innovatively employs a dynamic Panel vector autoregressive model (PVAR) which

simultaneously allows for endogeneity and causality issues, largely ignored in the literature.

The results show that CSR has a positive and significant relationship on corporate financial

performance in both long run and the short run. These results support the theoretical

underpinnings with respect to the positive association that exist between CSR and financial

performance. At an operational level, these results could persuade managers to undertake

more CSR activities in view to enhance the overall firm‘s efficiency.

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility; Firm Performance, Hotels, PVAR


Customer Satisfaction on Adoption of e-Banking in Mauritius

V. Ramesh, V. C. Jaunky, H. S. Oodit

REVA University Bangalore / Open University of Mauritius

The development and increasing progress that is being experienced in the Information and

Communication Technology have brought lot of changes in almost all facets of life. In the

Banking Industry, it has been in the form of online banking, which is now replacing the

traditional banking practice. The Internet has played a key role in changing how we interact

with other people and how we do business today. As a result of the Internet, electronic

commerce has emerged, allowing businesses to more effectively interact with their customers

and other corporations inside and outside their industries. Internet can be seen as a truly

global phenomenon that has made time and distance irrelevant to many transactions. The

transformation from traditional banking to e-banking has been a ―Leap‖ change. The

electronic banking system addresses several emerging trends: customers‘ demand for

anytime, anywhere service, product time-to-market imperatives and increasingly complex

back-office integration challenges. The present study is the outcome of an empirical study

conducted with the objective of investigating customer's views regarding e-banking and their

satisfaction and therefore, examines, if customers' choice of banks is influenced by the

quality of e-banking services provided. The survey instrument was developed with the help of

questionnaire comprising open ended and Likert type of questions. Secondly personal details

and customers' e-banking preference of Mauritians. The instrument contains 35 items and

was administered to about 250 respondents, while 185 respondents using regularly online

banking services. The statistical techniques used for the analysis were the `ordered probit`,

`ordered logit` and descriptive statistics with the help of software STATA and Structural

Equation Modelling (SEM) using software SPSS AMOS. The results revealed that the

relationship with different income group of respondents that the perception about the e-

banking services offered by banks. The research corroborated the conceptual framework

stating that if skills can be upgraded there will be greater will to use online banking by

consumers.

Keywords: e-banking services, traditional banking, Customer Satisfaction, Banking Industry.


An assessment of the level of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the

Mauritian Banking Sector

K. Odit-Dookhan


In this modern era, service quality has become an important factor to service oriented

businesses and this study tries to assess the service quality offered by retail banks in

Mauritius. Additionally, it explores the relationship among service quality, customer

satisfaction and loyalty. The five dimensions of the SERVQUAL model are used to measure

the quality of service offered by the retail banks. Convenient sampling procedure was used to

obtain 250 responses from customer of banking services in Mauritius. The results indicate

that there is a positive correlation between the dimensions of service quality and customer

satisfaction and the regression test showed that offering quality service has positive impact on

overall customer satisfaction. The research findings also indicate offering high quality service

increase customer satisfaction, which in turn leads to high level of customer commitment and

loyalty.

Keywords: Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, Retail Banking,

Mauritius


LA VALORISATION DES CULTURES VIVRIÈRES PAR LE BIAIS DE LA

RECHERCHE: CAS DU MANIOC.

C. R. Amand

Université Des Mascareignes

En Côte d‘Ivoire les cultures vivrières cèdent la place aux cultures d‘exportation.

Le souci majeur est que la disponibilité des terres arables baisse à mesure que l‘on progresse

dans le temps. L‘autosuffisance alimentaire devient alors utopique pendant qu‘au même

moment le pouvoir d‘achat des ménages baisse. Une solution pourrait être d‘ajouter de la

valeur aux cultures vivrières afin de les rendre plus compétitives face aux alléchants cours

mondiaux des matières premières.

C‘est l‘objet de cette recherche qui consiste à jauger la viabilité économique et financière

d‘un centre agricole intégré de production du couscous manioc.

La méthodologie empruntée consiste à modéliser toute la chaîne de valeur du couscous de

manioc (de l‘acquisition de la terre à l‘emballage du produit final en passant par la culture, la

récolte et la transformation semi industrielle).

A la fin de cette thèse, l‘on devrait pouvoir ressortir des leviers opérationnels qui aideront les

entrepreneurs.

Mots clés: Couscous de Manioc, Rentabilité financière, Matières Premières, Pouvoir d‘achat,

Chaîne de valeur.


C2C Conversations: An Analysis of Customers’ Reactions to Customer Complaints on

Facebook Pages of Grocery Stores

S. Peeroo


Social media have empowered customers and the public by giving them a voice and

weakened the position of companies by rendering them vulnerable to customer attacks.

Several studies have reported on the prevalence of customer complaints on social media.

Handling complaints on social network sites – An analysis of complaints and complaint

responses on Facebook and Twitter pages of large US companies. Public Relations Review,

however there is paucity of research on how members of online brand communities (OBCs)

react to these negative posts. This paper aims to examine how members of OBCs respond to

customer complaints.

Netnography approach was adopted to observe reactions of OBC members to customer

complaints. A directed approach to content analysis was used to analyse data.

Findings show that OBC members react by posting comments to provide support to the

complainant, to help the complainant, to offer advice to the complainant, to criticise the

complainant and to defend the company. This paper contributes to knowledge by showing

how customers can either co-create or co-destroy value when responding to customer

complaints.

Keywords: Social Media, Facebook, Grocery Stores, Netnography


A Legal Information Retrieval System for Mauritius

Dr. R. P. Gunputh, S. Pudaruth


People have very little access to legislations and judicial precedents. Indeed, there are

legislations that have been repealed and others have been amended. And as far as decisions of

authority from our Supreme Court they are very often out of reach for the layman. Both

authors received financial support from the Mauritius Research Council (MRC) under its

Unsolicited Research and Innovation Grant Scheme (URIGS) on two occasions to set a

website known as lawanswers.me which is now free of cost to all citizens, academics,

researchers and students who have now an easy access to our legislations and important

precedents. Lawanswers.me covers all topics of the law, its various branches without

exception. Irrespective it is, inter alia, the Constitution, business law, law of contract, tors,

family law or criminal just to name a few. Actually, lawanswers.me is a website which is

used very frequently in the higher education sector.


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