Page 5 - RE-EVALUATING THE ICT EQUATION: Meeting the digital divide halfway

REALISTIC & ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY

Technology is where we need to alter our perceptions most of all – when we think of ICT, the
Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the digital divide we tend to think of the more
remarkable advances and technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, robotics and
gamification, for example. We tend to forget that mobile phones also fall under the ICT umbrella
(UNESCO, n.d.). Statistics show that in South Africa, more than 60% of all people have access to
smart phone technology (IRR, 2020). This statistic is mirrored within our various programme
professional learning communities (PLCs).

What’s more, mobile phones are highly engaging, with statistics showing that people unlock
their mobile phones up to nine times every hour (Deloitte Development, in Hogle, 2017). Using
mobile learning best practice, such as responsive design (Khadim, 2018), and micro-learning
principles (Andriotis, 2018) we can easily meet and engage our partner educators ‘where’ they
are. With the vast majority of our participating educators using WhatsApp, Google and
Facebook, we need to harness these, and build them into our re-imagined learning ecosystem as
effective modes of authentic communication and learning.

We must also take into consideration that the cost of data is another major inhibiting factor.
Donor funding can go some way toward resourcing this need (specifically during the COVID-19
pandemic, when face-to-face options are not available), but we need also to consider optimising
the use of that data so that there is evidence of learning, and our donors can see impactful
progress.

Source: More than Blended Learning: Micro-learning explained in two minutes