Adult education is to receive a shot in the arm with the release of a new programme that combines multimedia technology with mother-tongue learning to improve literacy and other learning skills.
The Bridges to the Future Initiative (BFI-SA) makes use of user-friendly multimedia material in Sepedi, Tshivenda, xiTsonga and English, aligned with Adult basic education and training (Abet) levels one to three, and also includes computer literacy skills.
The initiative is being launched in the Limpopo but the aim is to expand the material to include the remaining seven official languages and roll the programme out nationwide. The BFI-SA multimedia software will be installed and implemented at established Limpopo Abet centres, secondary schools, community Centres and other sites.
The programme is a partnership between the Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy; the International Literacy Institute of the University of Pennsylvania and the national department of education.
Says Massenya Dikotla, CEO of the Molteno Institute for Language and Literacy: “The Bridges to the Future Initiative is undoubtedly the first of its kind for South Africa. We feel extremely excited and proud and believe its benefit will be twofold: overcoming illiteracy through home language teaching while also establishing all-important computer skills.
“The material is very easy to use and will keep learners interested and motivated. Often it is found that learners lose interest in adult learning programmes. Multimedia is an interactive and exciting teaching medium that will enable the learners to learn at their own pace while enjoying the overall experience.”
The multimedia components of the BFI are designed to complement the department’s mass literacy campaign, Kha Ri Gude, as well Abet material.
Learners can easily identify with the various characters and scenarios. Through the use of head-sets participants become part of the overall experience which in turn supports learning in a step-by-step fashion.