Impact of Digital Learning Shift for Publishers in South Africa

South Africa’s basic education system suffered from several issues even before the pandemic. Significant disparities existed, with the system divided into quintiles of 1 to 5. The poorest in Quintile One suffered from a lack of resources and support, which led to poor educational outcomes impacting university admissions for this segment. This approach of segregating schools into quintiles was in place to address past inequities in the system, but they seemed to have added to the educational disparities.

Language is also an issue, as most students don’t speak English as their mother tongue. Teachers have faced many challenges over the years, particularly in STEM subjects. COVID-19 further highlighted these issues and revealed a vast digital divide in the South African student population.

Steps Taken Through the Years to Combat Regional Disparities

The South African government and policymakers have taken steps through the years to address these issues. In 2003, the government released a draft whitepaper on ICT for transforming learning in the nation’s schools. In addition, the government took more initiatives to provide digital tools to marginalized schools and colleges. For example, in 2014, Afrika Publishers launched an initiative to convert its school textbooks into eBooks and partnered with NGOs to provide digital education centers to rural communities. Various other e-learning platforms also provided social learning solutions for schools in backward areas. These included Obami and Snapplify.

The Abrupt Transition to Remote Learning During the Pandemic

With lockdown in early 2020, the Ministry of Basic Education provided many distance learning materials on its website. Students could access study and reading materials in multimedia formats, like interactive workbooks, audios, and videos. There were also pedagogical recommendations for parents on how to ensure education continuity at home.

In addition, the Department of Basic Education and the South African Broadcasting Corporation launched a radio curriculum and education television for support. There were three television channels and 13 radio stations dedicated to this purpose. The Early Childhood Development (ECD) program included various subjects, including math, life sciences, African languages, and physical sciences. In addition, Telkom ZA, a telecom operator, offered zero-rated education websites for free to learners.?

The Department of Basic Education also launched a WhatsApp portal to provide teachers with information about the pandemic and educational resources.?

How Successful was the Digital Learning Initiative During the Pandemic?

The digital transition went well for students in the wealthier communities, compared to students in poorer institutions that didn’t have the tools to implement digital learning. However, 15% of students lacked online access, continuous electricity supply, and security online even at a top-tier higher education institution.

Teachers were underprepared for this sudden shift, despite the quest to develop a more tech-centric approach in teaching over the last few years. They mainly lacked expertise in course design, digital deliveries, and the required pedagogical practices to survive in the crisis mode.?

However, the teachers responded to the crisis in whatever ways they could, and creatively at that. For instance, many teachers pasted paper pieces on the wall to use them as “whiteboards” and then went on to record themselves with phones, using these whiteboards to teach. The videos were circulated on WhatsApp groups. As we advance, this is a lesson for the South African education system that teachers should be at the center of all digital learning efforts with proper training and tools.?

Opportunity for Transforming the Education System in South Africa

While the remote learning experience was challenging due to a lack of resources, the pandemic accelerated digital learning adoption. The Department of Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said that many parents prefer online learning programs in the country now. The government is looking into the lack of resources in many sectors, with the telecommunications department supporting this initiative.

Many schools and educators hope that the pandemic will offer the impetus for more institutions to start sharing online resources. A few actionable initiatives included Investec’s Promaths program going online to provide math and science tuition to underprivileged children in the pandemic, free of cost.

Specific policies need to be developed or updated about using data and the implementation of AI-based decision-making tools. The recently released 4th Industrial Revolution Report is an example of some existing resources in the country. In addition, POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013), expected to be enforced in 2021, provides guidance on data publication, handling, and automated decision-making.

All of the above represents a massive opportunity for publishers and digital learning platforms to drive meaningful and much-needed change into the country’s education system. Digital learning can be the ultimate savior for children of South Africa and provide them with tools for a brighter future.

A Case Study

MagicBox has supported publishers and Edtech companies transition to digital learning quickly and smoothly. For example, in 2020, MagicBox? partnered with a leading educational publisher in South Africa to help them deliver digital education compatible across multiple devices and quickly scaled to support a rising number of users.

With over a century of experience in publishing materials for K-12 and higher education, the publisher was able to benefit from the course authoring tools to quickly create affordable educational materials to support teachers and students in the country.

In addition, with MagicBox?, online security of users, robust digital rights management, and digital equity via the online/offline eReader. The award-winning platform enabled the publisher also to offer:

• School textbooks from Grade R to Grade 12
• Higher Education textbooks for undergraduate and postgraduate students
• General literature titles, including prescription literature
• Resources like dictionaries, atlases, and reading schemes

More: www.getmagicbox.com?