South African classrooms are getting a 4IR upgrade

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:23 pm

The Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) has announced that it’s set on introducing information and communication technology (ICT) to the classroom. This is part of the departments plan to ensure that its classrooms are prepared for the fourth industrial revolution.
According to the ECDoE, ICT devices have already been distributed to educators across the province to advance the teaching and learning performance. And, to properly facilitate the implementation of the technology, there will be Technology in Education Roundtable. This two-day workshop event is said to take place on 3-4 September 2019 in East London and the ECDoE hopes leaders in the Eastern Cape education sector will attend.
The objective of the roundtable is to drive the adoption of ICT to enable the Eastern Cape e-learning strategy.
“The proliferation of connected mobile devices in society has given us the impetus to change the entire public education systems to leverage these smart tools to empower educators in producing higher performing learners,” says Themba Kojana, ECDoE Head of Department. “This roundtable is integral to the change management process that will ensure the success of the project”.
In partnership with the ECDoE, OPECS through Vodacom is driving and coordinating the Change Management Programme for the ECDoE’s Connect Project.
The Connect Project, which is in its last phase of delivering ICT devices to educators, aims to accelerate the adoption, usage and sustainability of ICT in education. The roundtable discussions are expected to drive a coherent digital transformation agenda when implementing the e-learning strategy which will inherently address the 4IR.

“Through various interventions going forward, we want to walk the journey of unpacking what e-learning means in practical terms and mobilise all departments in enhancing teaching for elevated learning outcomes. The future of education is driven by technology and no learner in the Eastern Cape will be left behind,” concludes Kojana.