Mxit aims for tech in education

Cape Town - Mobile technology should be used in education, though providers would do well to take cognisance of the cost of data and devices.

That is according the thinking behind Mxit's new Ukufunda virtual school which employs mobile technology to create a Facebook-like environment for educational institutions.

The platform, which was developed by Mxit Reach, is intended to provide an avenue for educators to use mobile technology to communicate with students.

However, unlike some platforms, Ukufunda used a light data footprint and works on a wide range of devices.

While the initiative is intended to expand technology in education, one challenge is whether teachers will adopt the use of mobile technology in the classroom.

Teachers

In terms of the National Broadband Policy, SA Connect, Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Dr Siyabonga Cwele said that 8 491 schools had been connected with broadband in the past five years, though there are challenges.

"I am aware that not all these schools are utilising their facilities as effectively as we had hoped. The Department has started an audit of the schools we have connected to identify the challenges they face," Cwele said on Mandela Day in Nelspruit.

During the run of the Khanya Project which spent about R1bn in the Western Cape to outfit schools with technology, 27 000 teachers were trained to utilise hardware in the classroom, but the retention rate in the last couple of years was significantly low.

Watch this Mxit representative explain how the Ukufunda virtual school works:

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