Not waiting for the world to change

Steve Vosloo, fellow for 21^st Century Learning at the Shuttleworth Foundation, wants to change the world. “I've always been drawn to a 'career of contribution', but it was after the dot-bomb, when the bottom fell out of the commercial Internet world that I was working in, that I made the move to technology for social good.”

Vosloo was invited to be a fellow of the Shuttleworth Foundation in 2008 after the foundation, set up by Mark Shuttleworth, funded a project Vosloo was leading at the time, called the Digital Hero Book.

Vosloo says working at the foundation is an interesting experience. “It's a wonderful opportunity to develop an idea or initiative, in my case the m4Lit (Mobile for Literacy) project, but there is also huge pressure to deliver something out of the ordinary.

Literacy remains a huge challenge in South Africa, where this country's youth don't read or write as much as they should. Vosloo's Mobile for Literacy project uses accessible technology that township teenagers love, to get them to read more. Teenagers are obsessed with mobile phones and text messaging and that's precisely what m4Lit uses to get youngsters reading and writing more.

“Language skill is the foundation of traditional literacy, which is the building block of much other literacy like financial and digital literacy,” says Vosloo. “Having a high literacy level in society is fundamental to learning in all spheres.”

About 51% of South African households don't own a single leisure book, and only 7% of school libraries are functioning, and Vosloo believes that in this “book-poor” but “mobile phone-rich” country, the potential of mobile to promote literacy is huge. “Given South Africa's low literacy problem, we simply have to exploit this opportunity,” he says.

Vosloo's mobile project is an excellent example of how mobile technology can drive increased literacy. “The flagship initiative of the m4Lit project is Yoza Cellphone Stories, a growing library of short stories, which teens and young adults can read and comment on on Mxit, and also on http://www.yoza.mobi.” The uptake and reader interactivity has been significant, with glowing praise from ardent Yoza fans.

These comments are heartening and full of praise, like the comment from Mphuthumi Busakwe, who said: “I must say: the story line it self is gripping, for somereasen everytime i read the kontax stories am kept at the erge of my sit. They are always grattifiying and i can hardly wait for another1. Thank you to the contax team cause for the 1st time in years i am reading again and i lov reading now, and am a guy so you i just dont lyk readin. So thank u again guyz you da best.”

Yoza was launched in August 2010 and is the latest offering of Vosloo's initiative. It follows the first 'Mobile for Literature' mobile novel that was published in September 2009. “Since last year, m4Lit stories have been read over 60 000 times, with 30 000 user comments and 10 000 competition entries being submitted.”

A lot of lessons have been learned as the project has progressed, and many of these epiphanies are contained on the project blog. Vosloo says what they've discovered is that “there are many people who don't think of themselves as readers, but with engaging and accessible content they find that they enjoy the experience. It's almost as if we have a nation of latent readers, who've just not been activated by anything up to this point. Based on comments that we've received, I think m-novels can reach some of those people.”

Vosloo says other examples of projects that are improving literacy using mobile technology are Dr Math on Mxit and the Nokia Maths Project. “Mxit is simply a tool, which can be used for good or evil. There are now more than enough demonstrable uses of this tool for social good that far outweigh the negative media hype. These positive projects should make teachers, parents, governments, companies and non-profit organisations all seriously consider using mobile phones for learning.”

Mobile is extremely important in developmental work because mobile changes everything, according to Vosloo. “We've spent decades trying to get computers into communities with very limited success. Mobile has just happened. Mobile is not so much an issue of access, but of effective use. Of course there are barriers of cost and limited mobile data infrastructure, so it's not a panacea for development.” The one thing that can't be questioned about mobile is the technology's pervasiveness and familiarity of use for billions of people, which is a powerful reality that development work can leverage.

Vosloo says people are now beginning to understand the potential of mobile in terms of developmental work. “There are great initiatives out there in the M4D (mobiles for development) space, but I think we're just really scratching the surface of what's possible.”

This begs the question why mobile technology isn't integrated into the current schooling curriculum, and what would happen if it was. “I think very interesting things would happen. Mobile learning doesn't even get considered at many schools because they have a blanket policy banning mobile phones.” Vosloo says education decision-makers need to be cognisant of the challenges related to mobile, which include distraction factors and cost of access, but that this shouldn't deter coming up with creative solutions to integrate mobile learning into the curriculum. “I like that you talk about 'integration'; we must not just use technology for technology's sake, but rather draw on the affordances of mobile phones - for example interactivity and communication - and let this change the very way that we teach.”

The big challenge that exists here, says Vosloo, is the changing of mindsets. “Last year I work-shopped mobile learning with teachers in Zambia, and after three days one teacher said: 'I only thought of a mobile phone as a communication tool, which is why we don't allow them in the classroom. Now I understand that they can be used as a learning tool and can support our teaching process.' We need clear examples of how mobile learning supports teaching and learning.” Vosloo adds that within the education system, the only way to reframe judgmental mindsets is to demonstrate that mobile learning diminishes, and does not add to, the workload of teachers.

Vosloo believes the opportunities in the area of mobile learning and literacy are enormous. “Imagine great stories that entertain, as well as teach, that get people reading and writing and over time change the way they think about reading and writing... from something boring to something stimulating. Now that would be a revolution. We need to get over the pixels versus paper debate, and focus on the act of reading and writing.”

It's almost as if we have a nation of latent readers, who've just not been activated by anything up to this point.

Steve Vosloo, fellow, 21^st Century Learning

People often question whether the strange language used to communicate between youths on Mxit and SMS bastardises language, but Vosloo maintains that text speak can enhance literacy. “Last year I wrote a short paper on the effects of texting on literacy, asking whether it is a modern scourge or source of opportunity. After looking at the research, and not the media hype, it turns out that txtspk can actually improve literacy.” Vosloo explains that mobile format brevity forces people to write economically, playfully and inventively and that as a result of this 'txtspk' is phonetically correct (eg the word tonight, which in 'txtspk' is written as '2nite').

“While actual spelling is an issue to be looked at as it has been through the ages, the act of communicating via 'txtspk' is not necessarily bad,” says Vosloo. “Yoza wants to promote reading and writing, and so our stories are examples of well written content that is engaging and relevant, written in conventional language. But when our readers leave comments in 'txtspk' I'm not overly concerned. What I focus on is the fact that they've read a story, comprehended it, formed an opinion, and expressed themselves.”

Vosloo is driven by using technology in innovative ways to solve real people's problems, and says what inspires him is innovation. “That doesn't necessarily mean something new, but also means 'fresh ideas that add value'. Google didn't invent search, they just did it better than anyone else, which is a great example of innovation.”

A great believer in the power of simple, everyday action, Vosloo says it is the myriad seemingly mundane moments of ubuntu that makes the world grow. “There is one Nelson Mandela who has inspired many, but there are millions of unsung heroes, in ordinary places, doing their thing in small but powerful ways. I think we need to value them even more than the few at the top.”

Vosloo wants to create a legacy and says he can give voice to this dream of his by quoting French poet and missionary, Etienne de Grellet, who said: "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now."

“If I can do that, and join the ranks of the many 'little heroes', I'll be happy,” says Vosloo. By pioneering a new approach to mobile literacy, it's likely he will have done a lot more.