The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for online learning,with UNESCO reporting that one and a half billonstudents around the world were engaged in remote learning due to schoolclosures in March 2020. While some learners have returned to schools andacademic campuses, it's unlikely that education systems will return "back tonormal" soon, if ever, as blended or hybrid learning with the help oftechnology can complement and extend current learning offerings.
Unfortunately, in South Africa, not everyone has access to a laptop orPC to use as a remote learning device, but 78% of young people under 25 havethe use of a mobile phone. This ubiquity, along with efforts to increasecellular connectivity, enables mobile technology to come to the fore inproviding wider access to online educational resources necessary for hybridlearning.
At Vodacom, we have seen how much of a need there is for learners,teachers and parents to have convenient access to digital educational contentand tools. Our e-School platform, a zero-rated online education portal forGrade R-12 learners, reached over one million registered users during thepandemic last year. Of these users, 63% access e-School via a smartphone.
There's more to mobile technology than rising up to thechallenges of the pandemic. As an enabling, empowering and engaging educationaltool, it has a key transformative role to play in online learning.
Anywhere, anytime learning
While in-school learning has been disrupted by COVID-19, onlinetechnology has ensured that education remains continuous by facilitatinginformation access wherever a learner or educator is located. The portabilityand proliferation of mobile phones increases the possibility of anywhere,anytime learning. This means that, with the help of digital apps, learners,parents and educators can easily and conveniently tap into educationalresources.
Online learning is, however, reliant on reliable broadband coverage.This is why Vodacom zero-rated the e-School platform and provided data touniversity students during the pandemic to ensure that data costs are not abarrier to continuous education.
Improve learning
Mobile technology allows access to a vast number of educationalresources, which can be packaged and aligned with current curricula to supporteducators and learners both inside and outside of the classroom. This canexpand and deepen knowledge of course content and offer affordable access toeducation materials to improve learners' performance.
With mobile e-learning platforms, there is opportunity to learnsmarter - by being able to study at a chosen pace, go back and revisitconcepts, and accelerate through subjects without the limitations of aclassroom setting or school timetable. On a mobile phone, parents can alsoactively be involved in the learning process - they can download material,track their children's development and connect easily with educators duringremote learning. Furthermore, with mobile connectivity, educators cancommunicate real-time guidance and feedback to motivate and assist learnerswith their progress.
Increase engagement
As we live in a world of devices and apps, mobile technology is afamiliar way of interacting with others and our environment. For learners, thismakes mobile learning more relevant and interesting, which can increaseengagement, and in turn increase knowledge retention.
Digital content also allows for interactivity and creativity in howmaterial is presented and evaluated, to keep learning exciting and fun. Forexample, e-School has quizzes at the end of lessons to ensure learners havecomprehended each topic, as well as rewards to track learning.
Empower learners
Education through mobile technology gives learners greater control oftheir school experience, as they can connect to their own subjects at their ownpace on their own device. This empowers students with greater autonomy in howthey access knowledge, learn and complete tasks, as well as in applying ideasdiscussed in the classroom to their work.
Build future-ready skills
As a country we need to prepare our youth to prosper in a digitallyenabled future. Mobile educational platforms offer learners the opportunity toimmerse themselves in technology so that they have the knowledge, skills andconfidence to find careers in a work environment dominated by digitaladvancements.
Mobile e-learning also instils adaptability, creativity, andcollaboration in learners - much needed attributes in a future workforce thatsupports economic growth and local entrepreneurship.
As we continue to bridge the digital divide, online educationalresources should be part of everyday education support, in or out of theclassroom. Providing access to greater connectivity, mobile technology isleading the way in online learning, enabling students, teachers and parents tolearn and teach smarter.
To register for Vodacom e-School users need tovisit www.vodacom.co.za/e-school
Netshitenzhe is external affairs director for Vodacom South Africa
