How the use of tablets could improve education in South Africa
We live in an ever-changing world where everything is becoming easier, faster and smaller by the day. This change is fuelled by the advanced technology that are being developed.
In a country where education is at a really poor standard and seems to be getting worse with no effective strategy to correct this, maybe the introduction of tablet PCs could be a way to improve South Africans’ educational experience. Let’s look at how introducing tablets into our educational system could be a solution to the problem.
Tablets are a superior way to illustrate textbooks. Tablets are better than ‘paper technology’ because e-books can include features like images, videos and sound which could help learners learn more effectively. Tablets also allow students to highlight, take notes as well as allow access to a dictionary within the tablet. Tablet PCs also enhance the content because there is use of colour and interactive digital learning tools.
Secondly, it also teaches children to take responsibility by having to take care of their personal tablet PCs and the design of tablets makes students’ learning experience easier because they can have one lightweight device where all their textbooks can be stored instead of 5 to 7 textbooks to carry around. Plus a single tablet would cost much less than those textbooks and school could install school-based wireless networks. According to Mail&Guardian online supplying android-powered tablet PCs at a cost of R1500 or less to South Africa’s 10.8 million students would only take about 11% of the education budget which is 150 billion rand.
Thirdly, a tablet PCs would put countless information at the fingertips’ of the students an option many might not have because not all schools in South Africa have computer labs in addition this information could be accessed at their own will, so they wouldn't have to share a few computers with thousands of other students. Even though internet access for these tablets would be an issue, Wi-Fi connections could be installed in schools.
Author: Andile Mbele (602247)
Sources:
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1. <!--[endif]-->http://mg.co.za/article/2013-03-12-tablets-can-permanently-solve-the-crisis-in-education
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2. <!--[endif]-->http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/news-headlines/249-top-10-benefits-tablet-pc-education.html
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