Acer partners with Schoolscape to help schools and educators get the most from digital technologies.
Technology can help deliver more effective education. Research reveals that, at the least, technology in schools improves learners’ software and computer proficiency. Classrooms that use technology to boost efficiency or personalise learning also experience significant improvements.
When used smartly, technology has a real impact on education. But the devil is in the details: which technologies should be present?
Schoolscape exists to answer this question. Since 2018, it has brought the education and technology worlds together through events, webinars, networking, and information for education professionals.
“We work to connect educators with the right resources so they can make or motivate technology decisions,” says Ashleig Viljoen, Schoolscape’s General Manager. “Schoolscape is about networking people and information. “For example, we invite schools that have a success story to create case studies that are then shared with other schools. There’s a lot of peer to peer development. We also bring in the tech industry that has expertise in different areas, to help schools along the journey and to relieve some of the burdens of procurement in schools.”
Aligning Technology with Educators and Learners
Procurement is often the main barrier against effectively using technology in schools. Devices are costly, yet budgets are limited, and many schools end up with equipment that doesn’t work for them. Schools can often also overlook the supporting infrastructure that provides secure access and help manage issues such as cyberbullying or access to resources.
“It’s difficult to balance all the requirements in a school environment. There is still much to be done to create awareness around best practices for technology in schools and the ultimate positive impact this can have on school leavers,” says Viljoen.
A considerable part of the struggle is a technology sector motivated by sales. All too often, schools work with technology partners only to get what the partner wants to sell, not what the school needs. For this reason, Schoolscape also acts as a facilitator between the two. Specifically, it vets technology partners to ensure they are there for the schools, not just their bottom lines.
“We partner with Schoolscape because they put educators first,” says Renasha Papiah, Acer Africa’s Education Lead. “They provide a platform where we can have that open communication. Teachers, governing bodies, et cetera, can tell us about specific problems, such as budgets or challenges pitching comprehensive technology investments at schools. We can listen and share our experiences from the schools we work with. We can discuss the importance of fit-for-purpose devices or how to reduce the burdens of technology management.”
No box dropping
Technology adoption and transformation are complex and demanding topics—just ask some of SA’s biggest enterprises. If they struggle despite big budgets and ample access to skilled professionals, schools face a much steeper adoption curve. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital schooling, it’s often still a matter of two steps back for each step forward.
This struggle to modernise classrooms has consequences. One major concern is that it widens the poverty gap. Some blame teachers for resisting technology, but Viljoen disagrees:
“Most teachers are pro-technology. The problem is that there are many options and you need the right combination of technologies and skills to fit their environment. One size does not fit all, and that can even vary between classrooms at the same school. Education professionals are not anti-technology, but they often don’t know where to start or how to get the best results.”
Hence the necessary work of Schoolscape and why Acer has partnered with this organisation. Says Papiah, “At the end of the day, we’re not about dropping a box and leaving. It’s about the right fit and the long-term service—and that means staying out of the classroom and rather working with educators to help them decide what they need.”
Technology in education has many exciting avenues, such as affordable yet secure and attractive Chromebook devices, the challenges and the camaraderie of competitive gaming, aka esports, and the potential of emerging technologies in the classroom. Several organisations already use generative artificial intelligence to create customised learning material for individual students.
While AI is still far in the future of most schools, it does indicate what that future holds. Schools must prepare but on their own terms. That is the purpose of Schoolscape and its partnership with Acer For Education: helping educators prepare their students for tomorrow’s possibilities.
Provided by Acer SA
