Fort Hare Digital Education Enhancement Project Launched

The Digital Education Enhancement Project (Deep) was launched at the University of Fort Hare early this year. The international project designed to research ways in which the use of computer technologies can enhance teaching and learning in a classroom is a partnership comprising Fort Hare, the Open University of the United Kingdom and Egypt’s Programme Planning and Monitoring unit.

Deep research places emphasis on literacy, science and numeracy at primary school level, Deep in South Africa as been named Deep Inkanyezi (glow worm) and twenty-four teachers from 12 Eastern Cape schools have been identified to participate in the project, which will run until September.

More than 80% of the teachers are computer illiterate, but by the end of the project, educators should be able to use computers for teaching and learning. Deep Inkanyezi national coordinator Adi Kwelentini said the project would teach teachers how to use computers in subject teaching and not just teaching computer skills.

“Deep is focused on the use of information and communication technologies for teaching and learning, and not on the technology hardware involved.” He said.

The British government’s Department for International Development is funding the project. Microsoft South Africa provided the hardware, software and necessary connectivity, and donated 18 laptop computers worth R324 000.

Microsoft South Africa Customer Satisfaction Director Gary Hodgson said 12 of the computers would be used by the schools and 6 others by project co-ordinators at Fort Hare. Hodgson said the project would make learning and teaching easy as well as interesting and he envisaged that many computers wizards will be developed from this initiative.

Education MEC Stone Sizani said the project was long overdue especially in the Eastern Cape. “Figures indicate that only 13% of our schools are resourced for proper teaching and learning, and this is the huge challenge we face in our drive to educate the nation,” he said. Schools taking part in the project are Kidds Beach Primary, Dongwe Combined, Butterworth High, Little Flower Senior Primary, Zwartwater Senior Primary, Ndzondelelo Primary, Emjanyana Primary, Good Shepard Primary,Van Coller Primary, Dongwe Primary , Vuselelo Combined, Empumalanga and Nqamakwe Junior secondary.