Once the bane of teachers and education authorities, instant messaging service Mxit is teaming up with cellphone manufacturer Nokia and the Department of Education to teach learners mathematics.
Until recently, children found using Mxit on their cellphones at schools could have the devices confiscated by frustrated teachers, as it was considered a distraction.
However, the use of Mxit as a medium for children to learn in a fun and interactive manner is beginning to surface.
The Department of Education (DOE) is leading a pilot project that uses the mobile social network company to deliver mathematics tutorials to Grade 10 learners. This project, "Imfundo Yethu Imfundo Yami", is a joint venture between the national DOE, Nokia SA and Safipa (a funding portal managed by the Finnish Embassy in SA).
Grade 10 learners - 260 in total - from six selected schools in Gauteng, the North West and the Western Cape provinces will take part in the pilot project. It allows users to receive maths information, to problem solve, as well as to share thoughts and ideas to better their understanding of the math module for Grade 10.
Greg van Schalkwyk, principal of Western Cape school The Cape Academy, is excited at the prospect of improved marks with the innovative use of technology. "Mxit is used by 99% of the learners at my school. Learners will receive 15 questions on the Mxit channel, and we will be able to see how they tackle problems to find mathematical solutions," he notes.
Find a way
Juan du Toit, Mxit marketing manager, says the project was initially developed between Mxit and the Meraka Institute, to find a way to use new and emerging technologies to further education. It is also part of Mxit`s overall strategy of moving into new markets using education as a means to do so.
"This pilot project is the culmination of two years of work with Meraka. It is called the `Dr Maths Project` and it is in the form of multiple choice questions. Once the pilot is completed and we have the results, then we will then see what is the best way to take it nationally," he says.
Nokia will supply the handsets and airtime free of charge and the ultimate aim is for government to carry the cost of the learning channel, Du Toit says.
Riitta Vanska, Nokia`s senior manager, university relations and future learning, says: "We believe mobile technology can bridge the digital divide in Africa, especially in the area of education. By using a platform like Mxit, we are able to provide free access to supplementary maths materials for learners. The aim of this project is to find a scalable, sustainable and affordable solution to mobile learning."
The Imfundo Yethu Imfundo Yami initiative continues from a Nokia effort initiated in January 2008, in partnership with Mindset and the North West Department of Education, to pilot mathematics games and videos for Grade 10 learners.
The existing Nokia Siemens Networks and DOE partnership managed to engineer a project using mobile learning technology, and provides a robust programme for SA learners.
Herman Heunis, CEO of Mxit, says: "Mxit is used by 12 million individuals, both locally and internationally, and six million of them are learners. The partnership has, therefore, chosen Mxit to host this initiative, as it`s already very familiar to young people. A special channel on Mxit has been created for this purpose and access to this channel is free for learners."
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