Gauteng Education MEC for Education and Youth Development Panyaza Lesufi recently launched the digital content and online assessment platform aimed at equipping learners for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona said this platform will increase access to digital content while enhancing the opportunities for continuous assessment activities to support curriculum delivery in ICT-enabled schools.
“The digital content on the platform mirrors the e-content preloaded on all ICT devices provided to participating schools. This will ensure that users are able to identify with the digital content standards and therefore enhance utilisation as far as possible,” Mabona said.
Lesufi said: “Taking notes or cramming when a teacher delivers a lesson in class will be no more. Imagine parents setting their own tests and examinations for their children and the system marks the test or examination immediately as the system provides reasons on why the learner got wrong answers.
“Imagine a world where all parents can log on when assisting their children with homework, a world where teachers’ lesson plans are freely available. Imagine no further.”
Lesufi said the department aims to encourage and support the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model towards sustainability of e-learning in schools.
“This model enables schools that have their own ICT initiatives to benefit from the investment made by the department on the digitising of content, by having this content availed to them through the platform.
“Furthermore, this launch is actually happening at an opportune time as Grade 12 learners are hard at work preparing for their year-end exams. The digital content and related assessment activities have already been uploaded on the platform. They are currently active and available for use,” Lesufi said.
The GDE’s content platform aims to support teaching and learning by providing:
• digital content access, with interactive lesson activities supported by videos, 2D or 3D animations with audio for all the schools, in a phased approach
• opportunities for digitised assessment practices
• a platform where learners will be able to get access to interactive revision material, providing them with past exam papers with memos and step-by-step videos that show how to approach and respond to questions in an exam and accumulate more marks
• a collaboration platform for teachers and subject advisers, among learners, between teachers and learners, and online collaboration between teachers and professional learning communities (PLCs)
• provision of innovative digital twinning and broadcasting of lessons between multiple schools to strengthen and enhance collaboration opportunities for all the users, such as teachers, learners and communities
• opportunities for reporting with analytics on utilisation by ICT schools to various levels, including GDE senior management.
Currently the prioritised subjects are:
• Grades 10 to 12: mathematics, physical sciences, mathematical literacy, geography, accounting, languages (isiZulu and Sepedi) and life sciences
• Grades Eight and Nine: mathematics, natural sciences and technology.
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