Johannesburg, 21 Oct 1998
With only a few crucial weeks to go before final matriculation examinations, high school students can now take online advantage of a new educational site which goes live this week. 'William Smith's Learning Channel Online' (www.learn.co.za) offers matric students and teachers free, invaluable help - including past exam papers, online syllabus and revision questions and multiple choice tests, plus virtual teachers for a helping hand. The site has been co-developed by Channel Campus, Liberty Life and leading South African ISP, M-Web.
The site currently contains Matric revision material for Science and Biology, with more content constantly being added. A year in the making, the site offers unique features including several ways to access information which is not available in book form. The high quality content is sourced from William Smith and other lecturers at Channel Campus.
"Using the Internet to deliver online interactive educational services is now gaining enormous momentum worldwide and the Learning Channel Online is a bold experiment in this direction. I have little doubt that this service will attract great interest as a powerful new resource for South African scholars and teachers", says Bruce Cohen, MD of M-Web Interactive.
Hylton Applebaum, head of Liberty Life's Social Responsibility Program, believes that it is vital that every medium possible is used to try to help students achieve their potential.
"It is one thing to have job summits and design educational policy - however at the end of it, it is essential that we have people educated for the 21st Century. Liberty Life has invested massive resources into education and matric support. Using the Internet to help deliver education is part of our philosophy to employ as many forms of media as possible to serve the country. This new Internet site is the first step and we intend doing whatever we can to have quality education available and facilitate its delivery", says Appelbaum.
If you're a matric student, here's what the site can offer you
Online syllabus and revision questions
The Online syllabus and revision questions will allow you to select a section (say Momentum) and then view the "essential summary" for Momentum. You can then step through a series of carefully selected long questions, with complete, worked solutions. The answers are initially hidden from view to encourage you to work out the answer (or at least make a start!). A simple button click will then display the answers, and VCR-like controls are available for moving between questions.
Online Forum
While working through the syllabus, you may come across some problems or work which is difficult to understand. So... ask someone! You do this by sending (or posting, as it's usually referred to) a message to the Online Forum. You can see other students' messages too, and respond to them. A virtual teacher will frequently check the forum, and answer questions as appropriate.
Online Multiple Choice Test
The Online Multiple Choice Tests presents you with 10 questions of which the answers can be submitted for marking.
Results are available immediately, with concise explanations for incorrect answers. And, there's no cheating because if you choose, for example, Momentum again, you will get a different test, because the computer will select questions randomly from the database! Not only that, but the answers are "shuffled" (eg answer a will now be shown as answer c, etc) which means that you really need to know your work, and can't just memorise the answers.
Previous Exam Papers
Papers are also available for downloading or viewing (you will need to obtain some (free) software - Acrobat Reader) from Channel Campus the first time you do this.
Online Shop
All the above facilities are currently free. There is also an Online Shop where videos with full solutions for previous exam papers can be purchased for R99, or a complete syllabus on video, together with a comprehensive workbook for R399 (excl packaging)
Editors Note
About M-Web
M-Web is the Internet company which was unbundled from the MIH Group last year, thereafter listed in March on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange as a linked unit with MIH. M-Web is currently the fastest growing service provider in the residential market, and is currently building its profile in the corporate environment. The company has a user base of close to 60 000, and focuses on delivering superior, infotainment-based content. It has invested in leading edge network and service infrastructure to ensure it provides subscribers with a fast and reliable service. Headquartered in Cape Town, M-Web owns Computicket, has sister operations in Johannesburg and Durban and a national staff count in excess of 300 (700 including Computicket).