Gail Jennings
Florence Libago, manager of Ramaano Teacher Training Centre outside Giyani, was waiting for us at the top of the red-dust road, cellphone in hand in case we were lost. In a daze from the Venda heat, we had nevertheless proceeded, but still weren’t sure we were on the right road.
As new visitors to one of MultiChoice Africa’s corporate social development projects at the Ramaano Centre we weren’t sure what to expect.
As part of its corporate investment strategy, MultiChoice, through the Shoma Education Foundation, uses cutting-edge digital satellite technology to deliver educational training content to teachers. Yet to us, remote, tropical Venda seemed firmly on the wrong side of the digital divide, and certainly not a venue for a room-full of computers and teachers glued to the Web.
That’s exactly why MultiChoice, a leader in the field of digital satellite broadcast technology, decided to harness its resources to make a difference to the information have-nots.
“The digital divide between those who have access to information and communication technology and those who have not is a global phenomenon yet it is a key factor for growth, productivity and prosperity,” says Robert Hofmeyr, project manager for the Shoma Education Foundation.
And as operations manager Staff Sithole says: “If we were to wait for communities to be ready for information and communication technology, we’d wait for too long. Rather let us jump in at the deep end and, by creating this technological contradiction, stimulate growth and change.”
Every week, by means of digital satellite technology, Shoma relays television- and Web-based learning material, prepared in conjunction with the national and provincial Departments of Education, to 14 teacher development and training centres nationwide.
At each centre, teachers are exposed to Shoma’s three-phase learning methodology. In the first phase teachers watch a short video focused on a particular educational theme. Each video ends with a probing question, which teachers then discuss with their local curriculum facilitator.
In the computer-based phase teachers work their way through Web-based learning material, watch digitised video and audio clips, answer questions and complete exercises.
In the final phase, teachers work in small groups to discuss a weekly topic and prepare lesson plans for use in the classroom.
Meanwhile, at the Ramaano Centre, not even the vervet monkeys landing heavily on the roof distract the teachers as they use their newly learned computer skills to access the day’s training material.
“Educators need a lot of encouragement,” says Libago. “Many are demoralised and demotivated, and this computer and OBE [outcomes-based education] training has empowered them and inspired them,” she adds.
“Because of the impact Shoma has made on teachers and their learners, more teachers are interested in attending classes. They are particularly keen to learn to make the best use of their available resources, and understand and implement OBE.”
Libago used to teach children, and took a while to get used to training adults. “Now I love assisting educators. When you share knowledge with a teacher, you are sharing it with their colleagues and learners too.”