The growing use of technology in the classroom is not just fundamentally changing how teachers teach and learners learn: it has the potential to play a pivotal role in the delivery of quality education across South Africa.
According to Oliver Dick, Blended Learning Lead at independent private school network SPARK Schools, eLearning is already demonstrating the ability to dramatically improve access to information and educational materials, as well as helping students learn more – and better.
“To prepare our young people for the future, we must give them the skills and tools they will need to thrive in an ever-changing world. Using technology in our learning model gives our learners the opportunity to engage with learning material at their own pace, and in a way that is fun and engaging. At the same time, it gives teachers and parents direct feedback on how their students are progressing,” said Oliver.
In a keynote address at the eLearning Africa conference in Sandton earlier this month, Oliver highlighted SPARK School’s technology journey since 2015, when it started using Google classroom for one grade 4 group at SPARK Ferndale. By 2019, SPARK Schools had rolled out eLearning at all 21 of its schools, and this year, its learners will be spending an average of 340 minutes a week doing online courses.
There have been several lessons learned along the way, but the benefits are significant, says Oliver. Educational productivity has been improved, as the rate of learning is accelerated.
“Our scholars are learning more, and faster, and we’re seeing a clear rise in levels of academic achievement. Technology also allows teachers to incorporate different learning styles: each child in a classroom is different. Some scholars prefer to write, while others can demonstrate their understanding of the content through a graphic, for example,” he said.
Another spin-off has been better collaboration, with SPARK School’s teachers seeing students being more likely to help each other when they’re using technology in the classroom.
Last year, SPARK Maboneng was named as a Google Reference School – only the third school to be accredited in Gauteng. Google Reference School status is awarded to schools that are using technology, including GSuite for Education and Chromebooks, to positively impact education outcomes. The GSuite for Education tools effectively support learning both inside and outside the classroom and allow students and teachers to connect and share information simply and immediately.
“It’s vital that our education system prepares South African learners for a meaningful future in the modern digital economy. Technology is a powerful medium through which students can learn to work collaboratively, understand the world outside their immediate communities, and share their ideas with others. Our vision at SPARK Schools is for South Africa to lead global education, and this recognition is a step toward achieving our vision,” said Oliver.
