Platypus Digital, Groupon Grassroots and the Heart Charitable Trust have partnered in a fundraising drive to make learning material accessible to pupils and educators.
Platypus Digital has developed OGLE kiosks that it hopes to deploy in schools, learning institutions, community centres and retail outlets so learners and educators can access and download learning content at no cost.
The company says content will include video, episodes of televised lessons, audio, e-books, digital textbooks, podcasts, presentations, worksheets and exam papers. It adds that the kiosks have touch-screen interfaces, which allow teachers and learners to browse content and download it onto mobile phones, tablets and USB flash drives.
According to Platypus Digital, this can be done without a computer or Internet connection, and without teachers and learners incurring data costs. The content on the OGLE kiosks can be updated via satellite, meaning the kiosks can be set up in remote locations, the company adds.
Mobile education
Platypus Digital founder Stanley Edwards believes mobile education has potential in SA, noting that while many schools have limited access to broadband, the majority of teachers and pupils have mobile phones.
According to Jon Hoehler, manager of mobile technologies at Deloitte Digital, there has been a huge push for mobile education services in SA and across sub-Saharan Africa. “In numerous parts of Africa, low TV penetration and limited access to educational resources [is common]; initiatives like this contribute greatly to the spread of education initiatives across the continent,” he says.
Hoehler stresses that the distribution of the kiosks and ensuring constant availability of content will be key to the initiative's success. He adds that content must be created to fit the profile of the users and be in a format they can consume on their devices.
Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx, says this initiative builds on the success of the Freedom Toaster, a similar project that was used at institutions such as Unisa to allow students to register for courses, download course material and upload assignments.
Goldstuck argues that the main factor holding back wider adoption of these initiatives is that the people who make the decision to roll them out do not experience their effectiveness. He says OGLE will face the same barrier and suggests the system be demonstrated to enough people to make its value clear.
Call for donations
Platypus Digital is running an OGLE kiosk fundraising drive in partnership with Groupon Grassroots. According to the company, Groupon's customer base will be asked to contribute R20, R50 or R200 towards the OGLE kiosks' rollout.
Edwards says the Groupon Grassroots campaign will run from 15 to 17 June, with the aim of raising funds to place OGLE kiosks in schools.
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