An online educational resource, which claims to offer a quality online service to teachers, learners and parents, was launched recently, attesting to the growing popularity of information and communication technology (ICT) in education.
Called ebookscard.com, the online resource was launched by Ngoako Wa Batho Foundation (NWBF), a social responsibility initiative formed in 1988 to help youth to set up businesses and schools to integrate ICT into the learning environment. It operates from Mpumalanga.
Ngwako Mahura, the brain behind the online resource, said the idea was to “create an electronic platform where learners, teachers and parents with problems can get quick online response and help”. He said the online service “went live” at the beginning of this year. So far it has only seven subscribers, because, says Mahura, in his experience many teachers remain reluctant to use IT. In addition, very few schools are connected to the internet, but he is confident that numbers will pick up.
“It is like an educational mall, where the targeted groups can get access to a range of services that suit their needs; these range from educational and social to psychological services,” said Mahura.
But what is it that sets this apart from existing resources? “It is unique in that it is the only online library in the country; it is cost-effective; it does not offer only educational solutions but also social and psychological [ones]; it has an unlimited access and can be recorded for future use,” said Mahura.
Unlike other online offerings, which have limited capacity to accommodate simultaneous log-ons, many people can log on to this site without crashing it. Learners who experience difficulties with their academic work can easily log in and get an instant response online.
The site is ideal for teachers who want to upgrade their management skills and classroom techniques, as well as for parents who want tips on how to deal with some of the challenges of parenting, said Mahura.
The resource has more than “500 000 online e-books, 23 audio books and hundreds of e-courses” and he hopes to add more educational materials in time.
Mahura said he is negotiating with the Gauteng education department to work out mechanisms to enable schools to benefit from the resource. He is also talking to book publishers to make relevant educational materials more accessible to children.
Interested schools can subscribe by buying an e-card, which contains a username and password from the NWBF. Within 24 hours subscribers have access to the resource.
Mahura said education institutions qualify for bulk subscription at R250 a learner a year; it costs the same for teachers within the school environment. Parents in groups of 10 and 20 qualify for the learner’s fee.
Interested schools or parents can call Mahura on 074 113 8797 or email him at [email protected] or visit the website on www.ebookscard.com.