Dac Systems, a national specialist services provider focused on turnkey implementations of leading-edge industry solutions, in association with leading industry partners, Dell, Microsoft and Nokia, will officially launch a collaborative education solution called AlwaysOn-Learning, on 16 March, at the Brescia House School ICT Conference in Johannesburg.
AlwaysOn-Learning is a world first education solution that promotes the concept of 'always-on learning' (fully accessible education resources) and caters for three primary pillars in education - institution/educator, learner/student and parent/family.
AlwaysOn-Learning can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. Access is easily obtained through a browser, Windows 8 App or Windows Phone 8 App. This solution supports a natural user interface and is fully supported for schools, higher education institutions and even corporates running education and training departments.
The three pillars in education are covered by the solution and will be showcased in four interactive information slots at the ICT Conference, which is themed 'learning in a digital world'.
Brescia House School's ICT Conference is scheduled to begin at 8am and will include a keynote presentation by Fred Baumhardt, Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft South Africa.
Baumhardt is set to discuss technology and integration within South Africa's emerging e-education frontier.
"Today, teaching and learning doesn't just happen within the four walls of a classroom. Instead, learning happens on the go. Well-prepared educators can help today's youth overcome the "emerging opportunity divide" and put students on a path toward the education, skills and opportunities they need to acquire employable skills in the 21st century," says Baumhardt.
Aldo van Tonder, Solutions Executive at Dac Systems, highlights the example of a safety feature within the technology that ensures parents and teachers retain control over application and usage. "This feature helps parents and teachers to protect learners as they use technology to further their education. For example, the features ensure that learners are not exposed to inappropriate content or get lost in "cyber space".
The company has activated more than 1 300 learners and facilitators on Microsoft Office365 solution as part of the beta testing process.
Van Tonder adds: "Technology is a foundation resource that will empower a new generation of youth who are exposed to and readily access solutions to broaden their reference and sources of knowledge. We are here to support educators and parents as they engage the very best solutions available."
Speaking of Nokia's participation in the collaboration of AlwaysOn-Learning, the company's South East Africa Vice-President, Gerard Brandjes, said: "At Nokia, our goal is to build great mobile products that connect people to what matters most, and for many, quality education is at the heart of that. Through our collaboration with Dac Systems, Intel, Dell and Microsoft, we are able to tailor our solution to add value across a broad range of industries, including education. Nokia's core differentiators are our strength in security technologies to protect valuable information and the seamless integration between devices such as your smartphone and PC, with no additional software required. Based on the Microsoft Windows Phone platform, Nokia's Lumia smartphones are the perfect companion to existing Microsoft solutions, whether for your business, your home or to deliver a quality education for your child."
Stewart van Graan, General Manager Dell Southern and Central Africa, said: "At Dell we provide educational technology solutions that support the next-generation learning environment and drive successful student outcomes. The way students learn is fundamentally changing. A flexible, blended classroom model is replacing the one-size-fits-all classroom approach that was confined to set hours and locations, and through our collaboration with Dac Systems and Nokia, we are able to help teachers use digital technologies to engage students with more personalised learning experiences."
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