Dr Karel Johannes de Beer: FROM MY ARCHIVE: MERAKA INSTITUTE (PRETORIA)

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[Dr Karel Johannes de Beer] REPORT OF DR KJ DE BEER ON THE ATTENDANCE OF THE MERAKA INSTITUTE'S

Kallie (Karel Johannes) de Beer kareldebeer40@gmail.com

26 Jan

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REPORT OF DR KJ DE BEER ON THE ATTENDANCE OF THE MERAKA INSTITUTE’S INNOVATIVE CONFERENCE Council for Scientific Industrial Research 2007 APRIL 18-20 MERAKA INSTITUTE INNOVATIVE CONFERENCE CSIR, 2007 APRIL 18-20 www.meraka.org.za/innovate To err is human… Because I make so many mistakes, I am more human! Opening by Trudi Van Wyk of the DOE: GENERAL IMPRESSIONS  Well attended: (+- 70) o 8 African males. o 16 White males. o 11 African women and 35 other females. o 46 presenters.  MERAKA is part of the South African Government’s aims to develop an ICT University.  The South African Government is about to establish a Free/Libra Open Source Software (FLOSS) centre at the CSIR..  Western Cape and Gauteng have the most computers in schools.  Teacher computer literacy overall low. Little or no training by instructional designers.  ICT training will enhance technical staff capacity.  Canadian Skype session on the use of cell phones.  Contacts for publication of research outputs (JUTA).  South African Broadband Network for schools and higher education institutions still a huge problem due to financial constraints.  NB Draft White Paper on e-Learning (2003). EDUNET PRESENTERS  Wikipedia becomes an important tool.  Blogs to share view points.  Podcasts are syndicated.  EDUNET research tools.  Contact: kroux@csir.co.za  Africa Advanced Institute for ICT’S  www.meraka.org.za YOUNG ENGINEERS SESSION  Academic versus technical education.  Mental gymnastics versus psychomotor skills.  Technological ladder = Access > ICT > skills > technology.  NB More science Expos are needed!  Rapid Prototyping [FABLAB’s] also at the CUT to promote SET.  Space and Aeronautical experiments.  Bandwidth problems can be overcome with other technologies. Contact: www.yesa.org.za rbeyers@csir.co.za DISCUSSION OBE implies continuing formative assessments. Subsequently summative assessments should be phased out as unnecessary time consuming exercises which could have been applied for additional lecturing. THUTONG SHARING RESOURCES  Creative Commons License receives some rights to sources as long as it acknowledges the name of the author/source.  It cannot be sold.  It could be shared with links to allow others to use it.  Resource archives for research.  Google searching.  Materials at no cost. Contact: http://www.thutong.org.za E-LEARNING AND THE SPACE AGE  Beyond globalization.  Share satellite facilities via space to widen IT access world wide.  Open access to knowledge. Contact: www.meraka.org.za OLSET  Opening Learning System Education Trust.  Interactive radio instruction.  SABC collaboration.  Teacher support system on the radio.  Radio is a strong e-Learning tool..  Radio is a mass instruction e-Learning tool.  Easy and cost effective medium.  Radio uncover the curriculum.  Easy to tune in the classroom. Contact: www.olset.org.za INTERACTIVE RADIO INSTRUCTION (IRI)  Learner centered.  Huge sound archives since the very first radio broadcasts.  Informative (known to unknown).  Sound stories.  Nobody is afraid or scared of radios.  Provisional entertainment for intervals.  Radio ubiquitous, low threat intervention in classrooms regardless of teacher. capacity, infrastructure, and poverty.  Radio is the answer for development in Africa at large. Contact:van@mail.org.za www.olset.org.za DIE TYE WAARIN ONS LEEF  Duncan guy of SAPA explained the importance of the ordinary newspaper in education.  Today in history: Link to the contemporary times we are living in.  Journalists are breaking down news so that readers can understand it. Contact: parkprawn@mweb.co.za SKYPE SESSION WITH FINLAND (Live demonstration only) DEPT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (DST)  ICT - skills need.  ICT - application for supplementary tuition.  ICT - opening access to OERS.  ICT - geographical sites.  ICT - site managers. Contact:www.meraka.org.za INTERACTIVE VIDEO  Link OERS in live presentations.  Learners can simultaneously be linked for inter activeness.  Add on facilities/cards/software.  Offline solutions.  Traditional and e-Learning should be integrated and not separated! Contact: www.mindset.co.za MOBILE TOOLS  Open source and Open Content.  Open access.  Mobile or cell phone research.  Cellular services are still too expensive.  Link via wireless networks.  Free online encyclopedia (wikipedia).  Audio encyclopedia!  9454 [Dial and wait for service].  Link up for educational purposes.  Lecturer can link his/her phone to classroom speakers.  More research still necessary.  Technology research/tools/platforms.  Mobiles.  Kits for collaborative uses. Contact: http://mobiled.uiah.fi E-mail: mford@csir.co.zaDIGITAL DOORWAY  FABLAB community computers.  Free and open use.  Commenced in 1999 in India.  2003: Migrated into OERS.  GPRS links with Meraka at CSIR.  Mindset Content Topic. Contact: www.digitadoorway.org.zaOPEN EDUCATION RESOURCES (OERS)  Free/libre Open Source Software (FLOSS).  African Virtual University.  OERS centre and FLOSS. Contact: kbeer@cut.ac.za http://kareldebeer.blogspot.com MATHS ON MXIT  Contact listing Buddy list.  Cell phone technology tools.  Lecture learner 24/7.  Digital icon communication to improve mathematical skills. Contact: www.meraka.org.za DISCUSSSING CELL PHONE USE IN EDUCATION ( Live Skype session)  Canadian experts on Skype to CSIR.  ABEL - project in Canada.  ULWAZI – project of CSIR.  Canadian primary schools are not allowed at this point of time.  SA primary schools learners cannot use their phones during classes.  SA teachers want to use cell phones to assist and widening education.  Canadians foresee that the current ban will soon have to be lifted due to growing possibilities.  Abuse of cell phones is the major disadvantages.  Privacy issue in Canada is high.  Security problems in SA are predominant.  Portability and mobility of cell phones is wonderful!  SA is ahead in the debate in favour of cell phones in schools.  Legal implications still have to be ironed out according to Canadians.  Financial constraints in SA are rife.  Cell phone technology is spreading rapidly in South African educational institutions all over.  Cell phones are prescribed for some science courses in South African schools. Contact: http//abelweb.abel@yorku.ca/dwsi COGNITIVE APPRENTICESHIP  Lecturers need to be trained in ICT-literacy.  Context centered approach.  Enhancing confidence.  Solve problems with technology. Contact: www.meraka.org.za SHUTTLEWORTH FOUNDATION  Analytical education.  A free tool to shaping our thinking.  Learners’ personal interests.  Self taught – peer mentored.  How you think determines what you think.  Think like the computer.  Programming is like Lego.  One laptop per learner and lecturer is going to become the norm. Contact: www.brightsparks.ws TEACHING AND LEARNING THE POSITIVE CORE  Active workshop with handouts. Contact: kimtucker@csir.ac.za IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND  Use mobile technologies.  Incredible developing industry.  ICT revolution is linked to the cell phone explosion.  Digital communication on the African continent is expanding daily.  Alternative to paper-based communication.  Data collection for decision making.  SMS technology is refined and subsidized for academic purposes e.g. in Kenya..  Group messaging.  Web interface (clustering).  Dissemination of information.  New toolkits will remap the educational technology landscape.  Developing human capital. Contact: meraka@org.za CLOSING REMARKS BY: PROF JOHANNES CRONJE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA (UP)  Bad research practices undermines the quality of papers.  Excellent technology.  Overemphasize E-Learning (internet madness).  E-Learning is not the panacea for T&L.  Human resource problems.  Peak of inflated expectations can soon fall through the trough of disillusionment.  Leak of integration and coherence.  Pedagogy and andragogics and ethics should still drive educational Contact: http://hagar.up.ac.za jcronje@up.ac.za NB  Free State computer experiment for schools of the eighties succeeded to survive.  Prof Johan Cronje conducted research why it succeeded into the post apartheid schools system in the Free State. NB! jcronje@up.ac.za END OF THE REPORT.

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Posted By Kallie (Karel Johannes) de Beer to Dr Karel Johannes de Beer at 1/26/2015 12:52:00 PM