The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has officially launched its digital content and online assessment platform at Soshanguve East Secondary School.
Unveiled on Friday, the platform aims to not only increase access to digital content, but also enhance opportunities for continuous assessment activities to support curriculum delivery in ICT-enabled schools.
It was introduced to coincide with the imminent year-end exams that grade 12 learners are said to be hard at work preparing for.
The digital content and related assessment activities have already been uploaded on the platform, and are active and available for use, according to the GDE.
“Taking notes or cramming when a teacher delivers a lesson in class will be no more. Imagine a parent setting their own tests and examinations for their children and the system marks the test/examination immediately, and further, the system provides reasons why the learner got wrong answers.
“Imagine a world where all parents can log on when assisting their children with homework. A world where teachers’ lesson plans are freely available. Imagine no further,” quipped MEC for education and youth development Panyaza Lesufi.
“We also aim to encourage and support the ‘bring your own device’ model towards sustainability of e-learning in our schools. This model enables schools that have their own ICT initiatives to benefit from the investment made by the department on the digitising of content, by having this content availed to them through the platform.”
By introducing the digital content and assessment platform, the GDE notes it is embarking on the next phase of the ICT rollout at identified schools.
For years, the provincial education department has been vocal about its desire to ensure access to technology devices for all teachers and learners, prioritising skills development and ICT adoption under the theme of the “paperless classroom”.
As a result, the GDE has committed to championing ICT adoption in its schools across the province.
The GDE says its platform promises to provide digital content access, with interactive lesson activities supported by videos, 2/3D animations with audio for all the schools, in a phased in approach.
In addition, learners will be able to get access to interactive revision material, including past exam papers with memos, step-by-step videos that show how to approach and respond to questions in an exam.
Currently, the prioritised subjects include grade 10 – 12 mathematics, physical sciences, mathematical literacy, geography, accounting, languages (Isizulu and Sepedi) and life sciences.
For grade eight and nine, the subjects are mathematics, natural sciences and technology.
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