Free WiFi For Higher Education

A.

OVERVIEW

“The Internet is the ultimate tool of empowerment for education, both for teachers and for learners.” In today’s fast-paced, digital world, the average South African is at a disadvantage, due to a lack of access to the Internet. There is an enormous amount of services and information, accessible via the Internet that supports informal learning, social inclusion and economic development that they are excluded from. ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ - Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013) A December 2010 report on “The impact of Broadband on Education,” published by the US Chamber of Commerce, showed that learners from preKindergarten to Grade 12 are using the Internet to pursue a wide array of activities, which enable a number of improvements in learning. Online Learning Overall, a significant number of learners are participating in online learning programs that provide individual courses, programs of study, and tutoring services over the Internet. These are ideal for supporting the formal education system. Blended learning Blended learning programs, which combine online learning with face-to-face instruction, are also being utilized. Through such programs, students are able to access high quality educational content via the Internet regardless of location, income level, or other lifestyle factors. To this end, some teachers are using Web 2.0 technologies like blogs, wikis and Twitter to supplement inclassroom learning.

Mobile learning With each passing year, the number of children and teenagers who own and operate cell phones increases dramatically. Some two-thirds of all children between the ages of eight and 18 own their own cell phone - up from 39 percent five years ago. Thirty-one percent of children aged eight to ten have their own cell phones, compared to 69 percent of 11 to 14-year-olds and 85 percent of children between the ages of 15 and 18. Mobile learning utilizes handheld devices to provide learning “anywhere, anytime,” to reach underserved learners, improve “21st century social interactions,” link students to online learning environments, and deliver more personalized learning experiences. Through WiFi enabled smartphones like the iPhone and Android, learners are able to engage in a number of activities, such as accessing course assignments, completing activities, playing games, reading educational materials, and communicating with teachers and classmates. The many and varied uses of the Internet by learners and educators in preschool all the way through to high school have shown positive impacts on student achievement and the development of their real-world skills, through: •

Increasing the number of learning environments students are exposed to

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Enhancing learning opportunities for disabled students

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Offering more interactive and personalized instruction

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Enhancing learning outcomes

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Promoting the development of skills necessary in the 21st century

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Providing curricular resources for educators

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Offering digital textbook downloads and updates

The overall conclusions are that learners with access to the Internet will benefit greatly from the resources, tools and opportunities available via the

Internet. In the 21st century, the Internet is an integral part of any learner’s ability to prepare for the future. B.

DEPT OF HIGHER EDUCATION STRATEGIC GOALS

The Post School EducationTraining (PSET) White Paper sets out strategies to improve the capacity of the post-school education and training system to meet South African needs.

Its main policy objectives are: 1. a post-school system that can assist in building a fair, equitable, nonracial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa; 2. a single,coordinated post-school education and training system; 3. expanded access, improved quality and increased diversity of provision; 4. a stronger and more cooperative relationship between education and training institutions and the workplace; 5. a post-school education and training system that is responsive to the needs of individual citizens, employers in both public and private sectors, as well as broader societal and developmental objectives.

C.

HOW FREE WIFI ADDRESSES STRATEGIC GOALS

Policy objective 1: Expand access and enrolment in TVET’s The provision of Free WiFi services means that more students can study online (distance learning), as well as apply online, including sending applications by email rather than having to hand-deliver printouts and visit the registration office in person.

Policy objective 2: Improve teacher quality and training Free WiFi makes it possible to provide online teacher training and assessment. The anonymity offered by Free WiFi enables teachers to ask questions and improve their skills without fear of publicly acknowledging their shortcomings. Policy objective 3: Provide equality of opportunity Low-income communities have the most to gain from the Internet, and yet they are the most marginalized due to the high costs of data in SA. Government-subsidised Free WiFi networks in low-income communities are one of the most effective means to bridge the digital divide and ensure equal opportunity for all. Policy objective 4: Focus on disadvantaged areas, particularly rural areas and informal settlements Ingwe TVET is in a rural community in one of the least industrialised areas of South Africa. By providing Free WiFi, not only does the TVET become more attractive to students, but the surrounding communities benefit. The World Bank reports that for every 10% increase in broadband penetration there is an 1,28% increase in GDP. Policy objective 5: Focus on the youth Whilst older citizens are more hesitant to use the Internet, the youth have taken to the Internet like ducks to water. Most households have access to a WiFi enabled device; the only problem is the cost of connectivity. Free WiFi solves a problem that is specific to the youth.

Policy objective 6: Single coordinated education and training system It is difficult to promulgate a national standardized system without all administrators, teachers, parents and students having access to such system. Free WiFi provides the ideal platform for ensuring all stakeholders are coordinated and on the same page. Policy objective 7: Expand workplace training The ongoing explosion in WiFi network deployments throughout South Africa and the rest of the continent means there is growing demand for WiFi technicians. This is a qualification for which TVET’s are perfectly placed. By deploying Free WiFi networks in their communities, TVET’s can place students in their WiFi technician programs to their own projects for workplace training. Policy objective 8: Improve responsiveness to stakeholders Once Free WiFi is available, it is possible to add services such as WiFi TV whereby the TVET leadership and students can use video to communicate with one another, allowing for real-time feedback as well as being able to keep all stakeholders informed of developments in the institution. Policy objective 9: TVET’s to become institutions of choice, attracting the best students Should Ingwe become the first institution of higher learning in South Africa to offer students and surrounding communities Free WiFi, it will greatly improve its attractiveness and ability to enroll students of a higher caliber, thereby improving its throughput and academic results.