1. eLearning 2013 What are (w)e learning from e-learning? Ingrid Bruynse Bright Media and University of KwaZulu Natal

2. Background The need for teachers to become users and makers of resources: to improve their learners experience and impact on K/S/A/B. My History of large scale multimedia education interventions: School TV; learning channel; Takalani Sesame; Bright Media developed iCount - Fully implemented and researched project to increase access to knowledge using multimedia: the Knowledge Box. The knowledge box- a kiosk-based computer system which acts as an offline repository of video and other learning materials, all downloadable to a memory stick, disk or standard 2GS mobile phone. 3. Challenges and Findings The proliferation of pilots The implementers are not researching (sufficiently) The researchers are not doing Large scale projects are poorly researched. Little reflection on failure. 4. Landscapes of education in SA 5. Perfect conditions for alt (e)learning? Distance Educational problems Rurality deep rural Skill knowledge and experience gap Mobile device proliferation now smartphone BUT Why can we not take e-learning to scale? 6. iCount success reaching teachers, face-to-face, through the training in 2013 alone of 1768 Teachers, in all provinces in South Africa. In 2012, 1877 teachers were trained, making a total of 3645 teachers of the Accounting subject. (69% of all accounting teachers). Printed and delivered 24 000 books, in 8000 files, 16000 DVDs Each teacher received specialised training, a ready-to-use resource pack for Accounting in FET phase (Grades 10 to 12), 13 x episodes of television content, provided on DVD to each teacher. Three high quality books of 56 colour pages each, two posters, Working in partnership with the National Department of Education, Accounting Grades 10, 11 and 12 Bright Media and the SAIA consumer interventions were seen as successful for Mathematical Literacy through the Managing Your Money project, and the Department of Basic Education has partnered on iCount as the area of most need currently, but with EMS in Grade 7-9 as the next pressing need for financial literacy. 7. iCount Quality: Rating of either Excellent or Goodby 92% by all attendees, for ALL aspects of the training. Reach: 69% of all Accounting teachers in 2 years. Statistically, if each trained teacher reaches an average of 50 60 Accounting learners then 88 400 106 080 learners have been reached through this year alone of the iCount project. Innovation: 2 x Knowledge Boxes: in Gauteng, at the Sci-bono, Johannesburg and Mthunzini in KZN. Curriculum alignment: written for (and beyond) CAPS. (helps use = reach) 8. Demo of Knowledge Box 9. iCount and education problems Talking about failure to funders not. Paper Presence Safety (GHS survey DBE)Problems experienced at schools In 2011, lack of books (6%) was reported as being the biggest problem experienced at school. Other problems cited include, classes too large/too many learners (5%), fees too high (5%), facilities in bad condition (4%), lack of teachers (3%), and poor quality teaching (3%). 10. Problem: violence at school Percentage of learners who experienced Violence; corporal punishment or verbal abuse at school by province, 2009 -2011 Source: Statistics South Africa, General Household Survey, 2009 - 2011, DBE own calculations 11. Learners and teachers not in school Reasons for non-attendance at educational institutions In 2011, no money for fees (27%) was the main reason for children not attending an educational institution. Additional reasons for not attending an educational institution amongst others include; education is useless or not interesting (13%), working at home or business (6%), unable to perform at school (8%), family commitment (7%) and completed education (5%) 12. Walking to school 13. iCount 14. Challenges and Findings Need champion on site. We had a local champion who worked in the library and could help people with the knowledge box He left position for personal/monetary reasons Someone is needed who can operate, turn on, serviced, and observed. What researchers think is important is not what locals desire We provided videos, they requested more copies of tests Could be based on what they are used to, not knowing potential of the knowledge box without a champion Maslows hierarchy We had limited returns on our survey, presumably because the survey was one-sided. With a large number of surveys, they were probably used as a resource for paper, not as the intended survey. As researchers we need to consider the local needs, context, and model for better implementation in remote/rural areas. Potentially PaperRight a South African rights management mechanism may help in our context. 15. Challenges and Findings In the time of the project implementation: The Eastern Cape strike action from 26th February 1 March 2013. District Offices were surrounded by police vehicles and armed police who kept picketing protestors at bay (e.g. Fort Beaufort). Lower attendance numbers. Nationally, rumours spread of the looming SADTU national go-slow by all teachers. The average attendance declined from 52,3 teachers per workshop in week 4-8 March 2013 (excluding Eastern Cape) to 20,1 teachers per workshop in week 11 -15 March 2013. report to schools only to teach, and would not perform extra duties, such as marking, hosting departmental visits, or attending workshops - SAPA. Ten workshops were postponed to the second term and scheduled once the go-slow was called off on the 6th May 2013 (See Addendum A for full news reports). The attendance numbers then increased to an average of 49 attendees per workshop (excluding Vryburg where there are only 25 Accounting teachers in the district and all 25 attended). 16. Learning along the road to find out 17. Hard contexts to face Mapping failure as a process in education: Facing this : gap between rich and poor, access to resources is a daily struggle. broadband, distance, power, skype. One in ten has HIV, One in three women will be raped in her lifetime There are more people with Aids than there are taxpayers. Learning along the road reflexive practice. Living theory development (Whitehead) for a solutions-driven and responsive educational practice. Researchers are researching smaller and smaller pilots and large scale implementers of programmes have no time and space for research (reflection). 18. Challenges and Findings The proliferation of pilots The implementers are not researching (sufficiently) The researchers are not doing Large scale projects are poorly researched. Little reflection on failure.