E-learning in the Western Cape is taking a leap forward with the introduction of Apple technology to improve design and music learning at high schools in the province.
As part of the pilot programme by the province’s flagship Khanya Project, 10 schools in the Cape Town area will be supplied with Apple Mac technology in their music and design departments to determine how effective it is for learning at that level.
“Apple computing technology is the industry standard in the creative field throughout the world and we are looking at whether this technology is viable for use in school classrooms”, says Chas Ahrends, the project manager at Khanya.
“The three-year pilot programme will hopefully give learners from the selected schools an advantage when it comes to pursuing a career in the creative industry when they leave school. Ideally we want them to be job ready, or at least be at a higher starting point when they enter their tertiary studies in graphic design or music production.”
The initiative will also be looking at the cost effectiveness of using Apple technology, and whether it offers creative benefits in an educational environment.
Ahrends told the Teacher that once the project is up and running, there will also be opportunities to conduct ‘virtual lessons’.
“Ideally we want to reach a situation where schools and teachers that excel in a particular area are able to conduct live, interactive lessons over the internet and broadcast them to the other schools in the network.”
Training has already been rolled out for the affected teachers, and three schools, one for design and two for music, have been supplied with all the necessary equipment and are already conducting lessons.
The project will also be run in six primary schools in the province, with a special focus on improving numeracy and literacy.
“Its very excited to be part of this,” says Ahrends. “Grade four learners will use the technology for three years until they reach grade 6, and after this we will assess their literacy and numeracy standards.”