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Brett, Michael
Faculty: Faculty of Education
Department: Languages and Social Sciences
Research Interest(s): Ecotourism, Environmental history, Critical theory, Coastal zone management.
Biography: Michael Brett obtained a Masters degree in Environment and Development in 2006 from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He currently serves as a lecturer in the Department of Social Science Education Department at the Faculty of Education.
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- The effectiveness of audio-visual media and social media platforms as components of blended learningSouth Africa currently has 90 million cellphone connections and 4G bandwidth is accessible to 75% of the population. Audio-visual media, such as videos, can be used to enhance teaching as the use of multimedia is a key component of blended learning. In total, 92 fourth-year university education students were surveyed to determine their response to video-based assessments. Of the students surveyed, 92% believed that videos assisted their understanding of the course content, 78.5% believed that video-based assessments were less difficult than traditional assessments and 89% intend using audio-visual media in their own classrooms. Significantly, 88.7% believe that such media should be used at least once a week. In addition, once they graduate, 63% of participants intend using social media platforms to communicate with learners. The study suggests that a greater emphasis needs to be placed on blended learning, both in schools and tertiary institutions in South Africa.
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- Northern KwaZulu-Natal, or Zululand, contains some of the oldest protected areas in South Africa. The first game reserves were proclaimed in 1894 and 1895 and have become an integral component of the tourism industry. In the tourism industry, service excellence is important for customers. The study investigates if there are differences in customer experiences of service in the state-run game reserves in the region compared to the neighbouring private game reserves. The internet provides new repositories of data for researchers, and a total of 6,799 online reviews by visitors to private game reserves were analysed and compared to 1,605 reviews by visitors to state-run game reserves. Of the private game reserves, 27% of the reviews were for visits to game reserves smaller than 1,400 hectares in area. A total of 832 reviews for three private lodges located within state-run game reserves were also analysed to determine if there was a significant difference. The research found that the three private lodges located within state-run game reserves achieved the highest customer satisfaction scores. State-run game reserves and rest camps received a customer satisfaction score of 72.8% for two criteria, but the small game reserves exceeding this rating and scored 85.5%. No statistically significant relationship was found between measures of customer satisfaction and the size of the private game reserves.
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- The South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal province contains the greatest concentration of coastal tourism amenities in South Africa. Previously, the coastal resort towns along the170-kilometre-long coastline were administered by 29 local authorities, but are now administered by four municipalities. Three of these coastal municipalities fall under the Ugu District Municipality. This study examined 58 beaches along the South Coast and recorded the presence of 23 environmental factors and amenities for each beach. The region was divided into six sections of equal length and the beach amenities were mapped and recorded on tables. The 23 tourist amenities were further grouped into eight categories, and each category was evaluated and the scores plotted. Of the 58 beaches, 24% achieved a score exceeding 20 points and 24% obtained a score of 10 points or less. The findings indicate that for the South Coast distance from the City of Durban is not a limiting factor, as 10 of the top 14 scoring beaches were in the southern half of the region, and there is no direct relationship between high scoring beaches and distance from Durban. While the seven Blue Flag beaches achieved an average score of 21.4, compared to an average of 14.93 for all 58 beaches, they were not the only beaches to achieve a high score. The research suggests that there is still space to extend the tourist amenities along the South Coast, and an extension of the Blue Flag award would be one strategy for accommodating increasing numbers of tourists.
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- In 1931 an area of 4,517 hectares was declared a national park to protect a remnant herd of 12 elephants, the only remaining elephants in the Eastern Cape. Effective conservation measures not only protected the elephants, but also the only remaining buffalo in the Cape Province. Conflict with neighbouring farmers and collisions with trains limited the population increase for two decades. In 1954 a herd of 20 elephants was eventually confined by the first elephant-proof fence in Africa. Preservation of large mammals inadvertently resulted in the conservation of the endemic, subtropical thicket. As the elephants increased in number, the enclosure had to be enlarged from its original 2,270 hectares. Two state forest reserves were transferred to the national park in 1985 and 2002. A coherent expansion blueprint, completed in 1997, succeeded in attracting funding from government and international sources and increased the size of the national park by 36-fold. Tourist facilities have been considerably increased and two new rest camps and two tented camps have been added. Visitor numbers increased by 145% between 2004 and 2019, while unit nights increased by 65%, which indicates that many tourists are staying in accommodation outside the AENP. The AENP illustrates important shifts that have occurred in conservation in South Africa in nine decades, with less emphasis being placed on the protection of large mammals and greater emphasis being placed on the conservation of landscapes.
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