The Western Cape Education Department (WCED)

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED)  is responsible for public schooling in the province from Grades 1 to 12, they also provide various specialised education services and subsidise Grade R and adult education.The WCED primary objectives are to build solid foundations in literacy and numeracy in primary school, improve learner pass rates, and to improve the number and quality of our matric results.

IMPORTANCE OF ICT IN EDUCATION

Literacy Bridge saves lives and improves the livelihoods of impoverished families through comprehensive programs that provide on-demand access to locally relevant knowledge. At the heart of the programs is the Talking Book – an innovative low-cost audio computer designed for the learning needs of illiterate populations living in the poorest areas in the world.

Simple and actionable instructional messages that are repeatable and can be played when needed enable people to learn and adopt new practices to fight poverty and disease.

Overview

Spread Health & Agriculture Info

We partner with local experts to produce, record and distribute relevant information in native languages and dialects. The easy, on-demand access to health and agriculture information leads to learning and behavior changes that are life-saving and life-changing.

Listen, repeat, share

Users navigate simple audio menus in any language then listen to the information they are interested in — from 35 to 140 hours. They can repeat audio as needed, play it back for family and friends, or simply lend the small, durable devices out.

Interactive reading

Learning becomes more self-directed when users can adjust the speed of the audio to suit their pace or be prompted by ‘audio links’ to hear word definitions and answer multiple choice questions.

Connect and exchange audio

Any two devices can be connected to copy audio from one to another. With no additional services or technology, new information is able to spread wherever people have Talking Books at hand.

Record on-demand

Anyone can record their own audio onto the Talking Book to expand on existing ideas, share new information, or relay feedback to the organizations that provided the devices.

Durable and accessible

The Talking Book is small and portable so it is easy to transport and share. The device was also built to survive life in dry dust storms and tropical rain.

REFERENCE

http://www.literacybridge.org/talking-book/?gclid=CJi-h-2a1bACFSghtAod9x1Jzw

A comment made by communication minister

The minister of Communication Dina Pule

Communications Minister Dina Pule says "Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can help governments across the continent improve services given to citizens, by improving the quality of health care services as well as connect schools to the Internet to improve the quality of education".

It is been years since the ICT programme planned to improve the quality of life in South Africa but still, it is not yet being improved.

 

THE THREE (3) TYPES OF LEARNING IN EDUCATION:

1. E-LEARNING

2. BLENDED LEARNING

3. OPEN & DISTANCE LEARNING

   DEFINING EACH LEARNING IN SIMPLER TERMS 

E-LEARNING

E-LEARNING

e-learning is commonly associated with higher education and corporate training, and therefore it encompasses learning at all levels, both formally and informally.e-learning uses an information network—the Internet, an intranet (LAN) or extra-net (WAN)—whether wholly or in part, for course delivery, interaction and/or facilitation. Others prefer the term online learning.

 

 

BLENDED LEARNING

BLENDED LEARNING

blended learning refers to learning models that combine traditional classroom practice with e-learning solutions.For example, students in a traditional class can be assigned both print-based and online materials, have online mentoring sessions with their teacher through chat, and are subscribed to a class email list or a Web-based training course can be enhanced by periodic face-to-face instruction. (Tinio, 2010).

OPEN & DISTANCE LEARNING

OPEN & DISTANCE LEARNING

Open and distance learning is defined by the Commonwealth of Learning as “a way of providing learning opportunities that is characterized by the separation of teacher and learner in time or place, or both time and place; learning that is certified in some way by an institution or agency; the use of a variety of media, including print and electronic; two-way communications that allow learners and tutors to interact; the possibility of occasional face-to-face meetings; and a specialized division of labor in the production and delivery of courses.