My YESA Passport: Upcoming developments for Scifest

Filed under ICT and Education by rbeyers on 7 April, 2011 at 8:43 pm {no comments}

The digital divide brings back the harsh realities of the inequalities of society especially for learners in South Africa. While the internet is bringing untold benefits to those few schools who have access, the vast majority of learners in this country are being left behind. This is compounded by the current crisis in education where technically Grade 12 learners are being certificated as unemployable as their qualifications does not provide them with sufficient skills to enter the job market. They are relegated to become yet another lost generation and have to be trained before seeking meaningful employment if they are fortunate enough.

The original alpha version of the My YESA Passport was funded by SAFIPA. This served as an important working model of what could be achieved in terms of the tracking system to identify individuals with talent. A recent development has been the commissioning of BSmrt and Every1Mobile to develop a MXit version with some exciting prospects. Though funding has been a limitation, YESA can no longer afford to wait for a significant investment to launch this important tool. Based on limited resources a stripped down version has been commissioned and should be available in time for the SciFest in Grahamstown early in May 2011.

The core essentials will include:

  • Free registration for all users as part of their ‘visa’ for 2011
  • Opportunities to assimilate Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Innovation (STEMI) stamps for
    o   Formal activities (Expos, Olympiads, competitions, etc)
    o   Informal activities (on-line science experiment, SciFest, presentations, etc)
  • Access information on simple science experiments online and earn stamps
  • Be provided with bite-sized chunks of educational material

Over the next 6 months FabKids training will also take place in all the FabLabs around the country for which learners can earn unique stamps. Additional training will take place in association with the Mobile FabLab in the Port Elizabeth region during this period. The total number of FabKids to be reached during this period will be approximately 500. Through the association with BSmrt it is anticipated that the YESA community could grow in excess of 50 000 registered users during this period. The goal is to establish a community of practice of over 500 000 active users per annum. YESA will continue to strive to source further funds to achieve a self-sustainable system within 5 years.

Given the prospects of learners being able to interact with this portal literally from the back seat of a taxi 24/7, the My YESA Passport is poised to make a significant difference in the lives of many learners. They will receive quality educational content, be kept up-to-date with many STEMI-related activities, be able to operate in a vibrant social network, while developing a longitudinal profile over their school career. It is this data that can used to identify individuals with talent who can be fast tracked through the system.

Watch this space!

Local education projects show commitment to working together to strengthen their goals

Filed under ICT and Education by Kerryn on 1 February, 2011 at 12:18 pm {no comments}

While in Finland, a number of the participants on the SAFIPA Knowledge Exchange Trip came to the realisation that the way in which people in Finland interact, share information and collaborate was a wake-up call which motivated them to embark on a path of discovery, cooperation, integration and innovation.  They strongly feel that these activities are capable of moving education in South Africa in a positive new direction.

Keith Maree  from CampusNet, Ron Beyers of Young Engineers and Scientists of Africa, Leon van der Merwe from LearnScapes, JanHendrik Oosthuizen from Trydian Interactive and Dave Lockwood who heads up the Naledi 3D Factory, have recently come together to found the South African Alliance for ICT and Development Education Cluster.

Inspiration from Finnish innovation practices

Based on the Finnish approach to innovation, collaboration and discovery, the South African Alliance for ICT and Development Education Cluster, established in 2010, offers a new way to tackle the education challenges facing South Africa, through dialogue and project collaboration.

Education, training and skills development at all levels of society remain high on the national agenda and few would disagree that there is a willingness to identify more efficient and accessible ways to meet this need and to promote a broader culture of learning, skills development and responsible citizens. Education is a powerful way to address poverty alleviation.  Many education projects, however, explore new approaches and technologies in isolation, leading to one major difficulty – that of sustainable replication.

Educational Cluster goals

The Educational Cluster initiative is an innovative response, one that is based on collaboration and “new media” to link together interested stakeholders from Government departments and educational agencies, academic institutions, FET colleges, content developers, content providers, infrastructure providers, donor organisations, non-profit organisations, regional business as well as local community leaders. Thus, through the Educational Cluster, partners can collectively engage and collaborate in new ways that can nurture improved skills development in the country. (more…)

Leaking taps and SimCity … the relevance of ‘i3dlos’ and 3d simulations to Africa

Filed under ICT and Education by Kerryn on 31 January, 2011 at 12:15 pm {no comments}

The Naledi3d Factory, located at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria uses Virtual Reality (VR) to create visual learning content. VR enables the creation of learning material that is both content- as well as context-rich, in realistic, engaging three-dimensional environments.

As Dave Lockwood, Naledi3d project lead states,

We believe that its potential for learning and skills development in Africa is boundless, and luckily, today we can bring this powerful visual communication medium to modern PCs and to many communities.”

interactive 3D graphics like this one can show residents how easy it is to replace washers and taps.

In Africa, where poor literacy skills and language barriers pose huge challenges to learning and skills development, VR comes into its own. It’s intensely visual nature transcends literacy and language barriers by being able to “show” as opposed to the more conventional “approach of telling”. VR has a distinct and powerful edge over other more traditional approaches which ignore the intensely powerful visual nature of the human brain.

A global first in Africa

Interestingly, the Naledi3d Factory is unique globally in its work exploring this innovative approach, namely, using VR to communicate concepts to people in developing communities. Over the ten years that the Naledi3d team has been developing these ideas, they have built an enviable track record and reputation for their work. For example, their work with emerging farmers in Zimbabwe was selected by the World Summit Awards (WSA) in 2009 for a special mention as “one of the most outstanding examples of creative and innovative e-Content” (selected from 20 000 nominations from 157 countries!).

Used correctly, VR can easily address the need to present locally relevant knowledge in a way that is compatible with local value systems and local needs.

The visual appeal of inteactive3d learning objects

As part of their work in this domain, the Naledi3d Factory has also pioneered the concept of VR-based “interactive3d learning objects” (i3dlos) – a new, effective learning tool that marries interactive visual communication with the concept of the learning-object.

The key to the success of i3dlos lies in the interactive nature of the medium. Other, more traditional digital learning approaches rely on video and animation – which tend to be passive and one-way in nature. The visual, interactive nature of i3dlo’s means that the learner continually engages, which leads to higher levels of comprehension and knowledge retention.  A visual approach to learning is also underpinned by how learning actually takes place (i.e. the neuro-cognitive system) which responds most effectively to visual stimuli and mental images. Therefore, “by using VR to show concepts and knowledge in a visual way, we can dramatically enhance the level of understanding of any subject.” So said Eli Gudza, who is the executive director of World Links Zimbabwe in September 2007.

(more…)

CampusNet signs strategic agreement with PEACE Foundation

Filed under ICT and Education by Kerryn on 31 January, 2011 at 11:45 am {no comments}

The view inside a flexibly designed training pod; one of the CampusNet solutions.

An innovative and holistic approach to providing education and training to South Africans has been conceptualized by South African company CampusNet. The pilot initiative, which is being supported by SAFIPA, aims to deliver effective, low cost education, training, information and communication services to a network of geographically dispersed community college and study centres around South Africa.

There are a number of challenges commonly recognised by stakeholders working in the South African educational context, namely, access to materials, especially in a digital format, affordability for the project itself in terms of rolling out and implementation, and for the end-user in terms of their own financial capacity to engage with technologies. It follows that often sustainability of initiatives is often the most problemmatic.

CampusNet’s system involves a variety of innovative solutions to meet these problems. This includes finding solutions for areas where there are no resources whatsoever. Thus along with providing for the development and sharing of educational materials, and the provision of administrative support, the CampusNet solution even includes establishing the physical spaces where the technology can be housed.

The 360 degree solution

CampusNet has conceptualized Study Centres which are ‘points of presence’ within communities which will include communications networks to facilitate the distribution of content to these centres.

An additional layer to the project is the centralised technological distribution hub from which student, financial and administrative systems will be run to all the centres. Included are education and training course materials from a variety of sources throughout Africa. The system allows the delivery of a variety of educational programs including online live instructor-led sessions, and is backed by a comprehensive library of courseware and content.

CampusNet also aims to provide opportunities to entrepreneurs who will be involved in both the ownership and management of the educational and training centres.

CampusNet is committed to establishing 450 community colleges and study centres over the next five years.

In meeting their mandate, CampusNet will actively promote the virtues of study, wisdom, hard work, and cultural pride by developing each learner’s own abilities in becoming responsible and independent citizens through participatory citizenship and social entrepreneurship.

Partnership with PEACE

CampusNet is pleased to announce that it has signed a MOA with the PEACE Foundation South Africa, the aim of which is for CampusNet as one of the implementation partners to install the CampusNet MIS at nine existing PEACE centres located in the Limpopo and Kwa Zulu Natal provinces.

The Foundation is a non-profit organisation that aims to alleviate rural poverty through sustainable Local Economic Development (LED) via The P.E.A.C.E. Model. This model facilitates the provision of centralised community access to information, with a focus on the cooperative model and improved educational standards. The model also aims to include the provision of converted containers known as PEACE Pods supplied by Thorne Container Solutions.

Nora Tager, the Executive Director of the PEACE Foundation and an Ashoka Fellow, comments that the provision of the CampusNet educational facility, including a large range of content and centralised administrative and financial control, will greatly enhance the lives of the communities in which the foundation operate. She adds that the stand alone provision of MindSet material to school students in these communities last year led to overall pass rates increasing from 10% to 73%.

The symbiotic partnership between CampusNet and PEACE promises to enable both these initiatives to meet their goals.

YESA: A passport for improved STEMI skills in South Africa

Filed under ICT and Education by Daniela White on 27 January, 2011 at 11:00 am {no comments}

If Dr Ron Beyers could give the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, some advice on how to improve the Matric pass rate for 2011, especially in Mathematics and Science, he would urge her to instill the youth of South Africa with a love of these subjects, taking a holistic, long-term approach that includes the broader community, such as parents. “I believe that far too often the problem is addressed by looking at it through a straw. A Grade 12 result is not based on a year’s work but is the culmination of a lifetime of schooling up to that point. Addressing the problem has to take into consideration factors as far back as pre-school where often a learner’s interest in STEMI may be stimulated or simply not activated.”

The long-term uptake of Maths and Science by South African youth is of particular interest to Dr Beyers, as his SAFIPA funded-project, Young Engineers and Scientists for Africa (YESA) is aimed at increasing the pipeline of Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Innovation (STEMI).

A Science and Maths passport for all children

YESA initiatives are targeted at children from Grades 0-12 and are designed to supplement the national curriculum in a stimulating and challenging environment to promote creativity and innovation.   All interventions are aimed at addressing the gaps in the development stages of their education, providing support to learners through a broad range of activities, and to encourage learners to continue studies in the field of Science after they have matriculated.

The two major projects currently being undertaken by YESA are My YESA Passport and FabKids. My YESA Passport is a digital platform that allows children to track their participation in Science- and Maths-related activities over the course of their school career. They register and populate the site (their ‘passport’) with their information, and set goals for what they hope to achieve over the next five year. Their participation in events, both formal and informal, such as SciFest, are recorded on the platform, with the view to gathering “360-degree evidence of learning” in both formal and informal environments, that are accumulated to create a ‘lifetime record’ that reflects their involvement and interests in STEMI activities. (more…)

Geeks gather at the SAFIPA-Meraka Code Sprint

Filed under ICT and Education by Daniela White on 26 January, 2011 at 5:12 pm {no comments}

Attendees of the 2009 SAFIPA-Meraka Code Sprint

The 2011 SAFIPA-Meraka Code Sprint Programme is currently underway, having kicked off on 10 January with fourteen students from around the country gathering at the Meraka Institute in Pretoria to test and strengthen their coding skills and gain insight into software development for more formal or commercial projects.

A 2009 Accenture Benchmarking report found that seven out of ten companies believed that tertiary institutions did not provide students with sufficient technical skills required in the market place.  Thus, Meraka’s Code Sprint Programme was developed to introduce students to real-world coding scenarios, where they can contribute to affect positive change in society through developing and deploying new local applications and frameworks.

A code-sprint, also known as a ‘hackathon’, is popular in the development of software in the Open Source community. It provides the perfect opportunity for students with a range of skills to work closely together in a short period of time on a defined project, while being guided and mentored by experienced technical leads, ultimately producing a significant amount of code that is contributed back to the Open Source community.

During this year’s event, the participants will tackle three major sprints. The first sprint is Beachcomber, which is a BEarer Agnostic CHatter COMBiner and is part of the research and development objectives of the Internet of Things Engineering Group (IoTEG).  Dr Louis Coetzee, who is the Code Sprint Programme leader, explained, “Beachcomber allows humans to communicate with physical ‘things’ using a wide variety of Internet technologies. The Beachcomber code-sprinters will be writing various utilities to enable Beachcomber to be used to catalogue and monitor trees on the CSIR campus.”

The second sprint, called Afrimesh, focuses on assisting citizens in developing countries to communicate with each other using wireless mesh-networks and other technologies. Dhiren Seetharam, the Code-Sprint Programme project manager,  elaborated, “Over the next month the sprint team will be looking at problems experienced by South Africans living in rural areas and identify specific human relationships that can help to address those problems. By building information and communications channels to foster and support these relationships we hope to help rural communities do much more with the limited means at their disposal.” (more…)

YESA – looking forward to 2011

Filed under ICT and Education by rbeyers on 13 January, 2011 at 9:56 pm {no comments}

Looking back is easy but facing the other way to the future is far more challenging. After a false start with two potential board members withdrawing for various reasons YESA had not made much progress until an important meeting with Dr Neville Comins at the end of last year. This was truly a turning point. He has always been my tormentor and suggested the possibility of an Advisory Board to assist in the process of constituting the founding Board.

The first meeting has taken place in December 2010 and the second is scheduled to take place at the end of January 2011. The current potential members who have put their names into the hat for consideration make up a formidable team and where we need a minimum of three more to kick start the process.

Any advice in this department will be greatly appreciated including offers of assisting on the Advisory Board or the Founding Board of YESA – please feel free to contact me.

Another turning point has been the completion of my PhD last year entitled “Promoting Human Capital Development through ICT Creativity and Innovation.” This I believe will provide the academic credibility for all future programmes especially with the prospect of constitute a FabKids Research Institute in the Eastern Cape serving the needs of the Network of FabLabs in South Africa and that of the rest of the continent.

Partnerships

Once again a strong partnership is being formed with the Material Science and Manufacturing Division of the CSIR. Details are to follow shortly but it essentially involves massifying the current model of FabLabs with FabKids playing a prominent role.

A key acronym that needs to be tossed around a lot more is STEMI – Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Innovation. The last word is where the emphasis should be as it has the ability to unlock the potential of all the other terms especially given the discussions around the Grade 12 results of 2010. Without it, individuals with talent will remain locked into a model of education that will see them joining the never ending unemployed community with a school leaving qualification to certificate it.

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The SAFIPA Newsletter

The final SAFIPA Newsletter, Spring 2011

This is the final edition of the SAFIPA newsletter. The month of November 2011, marks the conclusion of this dynamic initiative.



This newsletter pays tribute to the SAFIPA programme in the form of commentary and insights gathered during the very successful SAFIPA 2011 Conference. Project partners from the MFA, DST and CSIR Meraka Insitute applaud the programme. And SAFIPA supported projects have a final opportunity to showcase their innovations and processes.



[Download the PDF version ]



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Siyafunda Campusnet

CampusNet is a pilot project which aims to deliver effective, low cost education, training, information and communication services to a network of geographically dispersed community college and study centres around South Africa.

The project identifies challenges related to local access, affordability and sustainability, and recognises that these areas are integral to the process of providing educational [...]

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