Recap: Teaching and Learning on the Front Lines of COVID-19

Thank you to all who joined and participated in our Webinar on ‘Teaching and Learning on the frontlines of Covid-19″.  We had a great variety of questions during the Webinar. We’ve addressed them as best we could below. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch should you need more information, we will assist where we can. Also, please do remember about our DTX Manual Unit 2, available for free internal use (see link under our tips below).

The tremendous pressure everyone is experiencing during this global pandemic goes along with a great amount of very real and abrupt social and economical change. We are pouring out all our energy into work, home, children, and responsibilities – without the social exchange of friends and co-workers or outdoor activities to recharge our emotional needs.

In light of this, the next webinar will be addressing “ The importance of brain health for optimal performance during a period of rapid change.” Our Neurolink certified Brainwayz team will facilitate our session. Please register for next week’s Webinar here.

Herewith follows some general tips and answers to questions asked during the previous Webinar.

General Tips

Eiffel Corp

Free UNIT 2 of our Digital Teaching Expert Course:

https://www.eiffelcorp.co.za/dtx-manual-free-download/

LinkedIn Education, Technology and Innovation Group Forum

We would like to invite you to our newly launched Education, Technology and Innovation LinkedIn Group.
This is a group has been created to discuss and share best practices related to digital teaching and learning. This includes learning design, creating course content with impact, using various digital platforms and tools and sharing ideas, examples and tips and tricks. Please click on the link below and request to join.

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8919467/

University of Johannesburg

From Mariam Cachalia Mia: Hi, my name is Mariam and I lecture at the University of Johannesburg. Just a few things we are doing:

We are making very short videos for students that can be accessed later as most students have device access and data access difficulties

The University is still on recess. This allows for preparation time for educators. We will deploy most content on the 20th of April. We use an LMS platform that allows for adaptive release and this forces students to engage the content before they are able to access the next content. We are using a combination of learning quizzes, short videos, assessing quizzes, etc. With regard to assessments, we are creating large pools of questions and a random selection of questions are then deployed to students in their online quizzes or tests, This assists with fewer students having similar questions. We also open the quizzes for limited time periods so that there is less time for sharing answers

At UJ we have also had year-meetings to coordinate with other subjects in our course so that we also do not overwhelm students. We have allocated specific days to subjects, e.g. Auditing on a Monday, Tax on a Thursday, etc.

My module is tax and within the module, the team does topic lecturing so we each have a set of sub-topics allocated to us. Within the sub-topic we break it down further for short videos. e.g. if I have to present on Gross Income, I will do a series of videos with each one covering one element or requirement of the definition. There is also an application called Handbrake which compresses the size of videos so that they are easier for students to access

The approach that we are taking for assessments are as follows: We are setting a pool of questions in a word document that we send to our team for review for accuracy and level of assessment. We then put the content online (using the Blackboard Quiz function) and our moderator engages with and reviews the assessment in the format that the students will see it. To ensure that the students are familiar with the method – we have our ‘learning’ quizzes in a similar format so that students get used to the manner of assessing

A few other actions taken by our team are: 1. Sending out a revised timetable with proposed assessment dates, etc. so that students have advanced notice on quizzes or test dates. 2. Sending out a summary outlining all the changes that will take place (so explaining which days they should cover content, which days we will be available for consultation on BlackBoard Collaborate or the discussion board, etc.) This provides students with a bit more certainty and comfort

I teach at Soweto Campus and many of our students have difficulty with connectivity, etc. We are fortunate that BlackBoard has been included as a zero-rated or free data site. Therefore, we place all content on this platform

UJ has instructed that the entire first semester should be online so that students who are unable to return after the lockdown are not disadvantaged

Botho University

From  Viswanathan Sankaranarayanan: Hi My name is Viswanath Sr.Lecturer in Botho University@Eswatini/Botswana/Namibia/Lesotho We use Blackboard technology to deliver our campus learning through Online Learning, As our students already engaged in Blackboard learning even when they are in Campus, We have adopted to move to Blackboard to deliver our online learning, As a team we have adopted the following

  1. Creating WhatsApp Group for each of the course, Posting the updates of BB in Watsapp
  2. We use BB where short videos of topics are posted
  3. Following Short videos, summary notes of videos will be shared
  4. Discussion forum in BB will be created for the students to discuss the topic

Q&A’s:

Theme: Remote Teaching Policy

Questions

From Grace Kinyanjui: Grace Kinyanjui from St Paul’s University. Have your institutions come up with a Remote Teaching policy? If so, what is the nature of this policy?

Answers

From Carol Dwyer: Please look at Open Educational Resources they are freely available and there is some good stuff out there.

https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-knowledge-societies/oer

JPB: No specific one policy but as the plans are made, they are ratified by our University Management Team (something like assessment changes go through the normal – but expedited – faculty processes).

Theme: Online Exams / Assessments

Questions

From  Viswanathan Sankaranarayanan: Dear speaker, My question is how does the exam can be conducted for Mathematics module, we adopted online, multiple choice question and short answer, but our challenge is students accessibility on exam, when student fail to access the exam due to network challenges?

From Maryann Mwangi: Hello. My name is Maryann from St. Paul’s University. Kindly speak to how exams can be done via online. Thank you

From IRENE KIBANDI: Any guidelines on how to handle examinations, with integrity and testing full content, from the online platforms in use will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

From Gladys Muasya: My name is Gladys from St. Paul’s University, How can you ensure that students don’t cheat in the online exams?

From  Grace Kinyanjui: Grace Kinyanjui from St Paul’s University. How do you conduct tracking and monitoring when all these tools are being utilized by various users both synchronously and un-synchronously?

From Mariam Cachalia Mia: One of the greatest challenges has been in creating policies for minimum standards for assessments while still maintaining the autonomy to tailor our practices to our subjects

Answers

From Myles Thies: There are technical tools available (such as Respondus Monitor) but that’s not the only approach

JPB: I am not sure one can have a completely fool-proof way (other than Remote Proctoring tool – see above), so there is the question on trust, and also to possibly not doing too many summative assessments, but more formative that may count towards a summative mark (that gets done later in the year when lock-down is over). Here we also need to be creative and give assessments that move students towards the reflective and the contextual applying of knowledge, rather than MCQ style testing of rote learning. Agree that getting the policies right for this time of crisis is NB.

Theme: Access to data/bandwidth

Questions:

From ALICE Ndirangu: Am Alice Ndirangu from St Pauls university. What strategies\approaches can institutions apply for those not able to access online learning.

From Viswanathan Sankaranarayanan: But our challenge lies with the ISP data where students are seriously struggling

The biggest challenge we face the student’s participation when the technology is very limited

From Gerhard Badenhorst: Bandwith is a problem for my staff. How do we design for limits, expensive or inconsistent internet connections?

From Ronel Blom: Proctoring is an option, but it doesn’t solve the data problem – we have to think differently about assessment – what are the team’s thoughts on this matter?

From ALICE Ndirangu: Alice from St pauls, I know we need to contextualize but please share some lower tech options you employ to cater for low\lack of access in order to cushion dropping out especially in our TVETs or middle level colleges

From Xhavier Taylor: Has anyone come across a good free app that allows one to reduce the size of videos?

Answers

From Myles Thies: Focusing on the topic the folks at UCT have shared a very useful set of practices for low tech environments struggling with the current challenges – some very useful practices here: https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1zPN7XUitOCw75FW6UeqrYAcWl41UqgKoZ_HRoYTKFZI/mobilebasic

From Gerhard Badenhorst: One option is to limit videos, and keep any videos very short (o-5 minutes)

From Philip Machoka: Free app to reduce video size – handbrake it is open source

From Johan Badenhorst: An issue not to ignore now while we are in Lockdown, is the students who do not have connectivity and/or data and/or devices to be part of the online initiatives. Therefore, the learning material and lessons that were made available now during the Lockdown must be easily available to students to catch up when they are back on campus and have again access to the Internet.

From Gerhard Badenhorst: Our students don’t have uncapped data, so watching a video can be expensive whereas just reading text isn’t that data intensive.

From Gay Potter: We have kids from some informal settlements. They seem to have WhatsApp mostly.

From Gay Potter: There is often no laptop or printer facilities so worksheets and activities have to be parent-driven

JPB: Most Universities have had their LMS Zero-rated on the Cell phone providers so that could make a difference. Only put things on the LMS so that it is almost free for students. Obviously no access to devices or internet at all is a more serious problem. Around Tech lite Michael Rowe has written very insightful (and practical) ideas: https://www.mrowe.co.za/blog/2020/04/resource-low-tech-remote-teaching-principles/  and https://www.mrowe.co.za/blog/2020/04/universal-principles-of-learning-task-design-crisis-edition/

Theme: Health & Wellness

Questions

From ALICE Ndirangu: 2.What about those directly affected by the pandemic and already have mental challenges in terms of PSS

From  Louis Barnard: I’ve noticed that although I am developing some effective online coursework and assessments with my colleagues, I am also finding myself acting as an online therapist responding to students’ concerns and emotional needs. I work with students from Grades 10-12 and many of them don’t always know how to process everything that’s going on. How can we, as educators, balance productivity, expectations, and learning objectives with students’ (and educators’) mental health and well-being?

From Louis Barnard: How can we effectively motivate learners?

Answers

From Gerhard Badenhorst: For motivation, look at the ARCS model by Keller

From Deidre Gouws and Rista du Plooy our Brainwayz change consultants

The following suggestions for your consideration:

  • Keep engaging them through ongoing feedback and communication.
  • Launch a competition using gaming principles
  • Remember that structure in all this chaos is very important – the structure that you put in place as an educator creates a sense of security to the students/learners
  • Set out specific times that you are available for discussions (putting boundaries in place are very important)
  • Keep the students informed, schedule specific times for check-ins, to keep the momentum sustainable it is important to take time off (without guilt) and communicate it to the learners.
  • Do your school have counselling services in place? If so, refer these kids. Peer discussions also add value to feelings of insecurities – to hear that other people feel like you do and possible solutions deal with situations differently also helps.
  • If you do spend a lot of time with the “drama” of students it will be difficult to get them out of this space. It is important to picture the long term vision and to focus on the planning and execution thereof.
  • Your school should support you as an educator by means of communication to parents and learners (messaging should be aligned)

It is furthermore very important for Lecturers and Students to increase their brain health and performance by applying the following:

  • Get enough quality sleep, establish a good sleep routine and practice sound sleeping strategies
  • Ensure that you make time to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day and apply regular movement and stretching while busy with online learning/teaching.
  • Stand up regularly and take deep breaths – this will keep you calm and assist with focus and optimal learning
  • Be constantly aware of your mindset and attitude during this period and do not entertain negative thoughts – rather work on changing your negative thoughts and emotions to positive thoughts and emotions. You can establish new neural pathways by practicing this on a daily basis.  Choose to find purpose and meaning in every situation. Henry Ford said something that is very true:  “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right!””
  • Practice healthy eating habits as far as possible
  • Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily
  • Take supplements if possible – multi-vitamins, vitamin C, Omega 3, Iron, Anti-oxidants etc.
  • Increase your brain fitness levels by doing:
    • Cross lateral exercises
    • Mental exercises
  • Learn to laugh again – read funny jokes, laugh at yourself, watch funny videos etc.

Theme: Continuing teaching & learning in the ARTS

Questions

From Violetka Diemer : How do you work with subjects like drama?

From Janis Merand: Yes re content and assessment – all so valid and helpful  But any input regarding the more practical and interactive subjects – eg drama and art?  Also things like medicine and anatomy?

From Philip Machoka: Virtual Labs for health sciences

Answers

From Myles Thies: Tik Tok?

From  Louis Barnard: Hello! I am not a lecturer, but I am a South African high school teacher teaching Visual Art and Design at an international baccalaureate school in Vientiane, Laos. We transitioned to online learning 2 weeks ago and concept-based asynchronous learning with clear learning objectives on our learning management system seem to be working well. I only use Zoom for checking in with students for optional small group sessions that are usually 15-20 minutes long.

Themes: Primary School / High School

Questions

From Lucynda Engelbrecht: What would you suggest for Primary school students? Parents cannot sit with them all day. And most of them are not computer literate –

Answers and Suggestions

Stick to simple daily tasks and routines

https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/covid-19-parenting-tips

https://busytoddler.com/2020/03/daily-schedule-covid-19/

https://www.yalemedicine.org/stories/8-tips-work-at-home-with-kids-covid-19/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9vBjYJhrPf/?utm_source=ig_embed

https://images.app.goo.gl/inDATZdZAA1DdCKa6

From: Jane du Plessis: Tips for children with special needs

https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/education/helping-students-with-special-needs-cope-and-learn-during-covid-19-pandemic/97-96b84ae8-36e1-43e2-8cca-e735163239c7

https://www.lomah.org/new-blog/specialneedshomeschool?fbclid=IwAR03Osqu0GMmdlLJI1Iu-wAfW3NDXXAwCDvHW3fpVphDPQO25ugTpSRCB50

https://www.lomah.org/new-blog/specialneedshomeschool?fbclid=IwAR03Osqu0GMmdlLJI1Iu-wAfW3NDXXAwCDvHW3fpVphDPQO25ugTpSRCB50

https://www.autism-society.org/covid-19/?emci=f9817ad6-3f6a-ea11-a94c-00155d03b5dd&emdi=8ea0385b-cd6a-ea11-a94c-00155d03b5dd&ceid=825278

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-online-education-resources-for-home-education#special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send

https://today.ttu.edu/posts/2020/04/Stories/homeschooling-autism?fbclid=IwAR0c7YQNwtiTzkF3dTEeezKDDRDl6_toRo8gkYO7bScT-Id20h7B0Pf8yDU

Join this enriching e-conference about “Distance Learning” for students with special needs. More than 22 short interventions will be presented by specialists and university professors. Parents will also be sharing their experiences and  insights from 4 countries: Lebanon, UK, Canada & USA. Special educators representing both public and private schools will be participating as well, in addition to #inclusive higher education institutions Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) Lipscomb University.

Free Registration via the following link: https://lnkd.in/gAA5Mv7

Zoom Conferencing from 4-6pm

Lower tech options for primary/foundation phase school

Answers

JPB (as parent): My son is in Grade 6 and is getting and doing all his daily learning and homework through Google Classroom and it is working quite well. Problem is of course if this was not set up before lockdown it might be very difficult now.

Listen to the recorded Webinar below:

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Eiffel Corp Awarded False Bay TVET College Tender

Eiffel Corp, a leader in all things digital with a strong focus on education, recently won a tender for Academia (academia.eiffelcorp.co.za) for False Bay TVET College, a future-fit educational establishment situated in the Western Cape.

Academia is a world-class student information system, developed by Serosoft, an award-winning educational software company, proudly brought to you by Eiffel Corp.

According to Mark Cramer, Knowledge and Information Manager at False Bay TVET College, Academia, was the best fit for their specific needs and functional requirements. The flexibility and customisation of the software were exactly what the college was searching for to streamline the administrative requirements of the institution. “We shall implement fully-fledged online enquiry, application and registration processes which are currently all manual, paper-based processes,” explains Cramer. “This will make processes so much easier as the various portals will allow students, parents, academic staff and management to easily access the relevant information in real-time. It is the time-saving factor which we currently desperately need,” says Cramer.

“We are extremely proud to have False Bay TVET College as one of our newest Academia clients. We are delighted as to how well Academia has been received by the further and higher education market in South Africa and Africa.  As you may be aware, last year was a big year for us as we signed Stellenbosch University, ADvTECH and several other institutions across the country. Our clients see the value of having scalable and robust student information that comes at an affordable price when compared to other systems on the market,” says Ian Light (CEO Eiffel Corp). It connects all functions and departments in one seamlessly automated system removing the need for manual intervention as much as possible. It automates and streamlines workflows across all departments of the institution, improving processes and assists with accessibility to data which enables better decision making,” Light explains.

Cramer says that with implementation, all processes will be reviewed and customised according to the College and DHET standard operating procedures (SOPs) which means a reduction in manual processes and that all fields will be accessible in one place going forward. “All fields are customisable right down to individual need,” says Cramer.

According to Light, the comprehensive student information system streamlines the complete student life cycle from enquiries to graduation as well as the administration processes such as inventory, hostel and library. The solution is built on cutting- edge Java technology and is robust and scalable.

False Bay TVET College will fully integrate all processes from Enquiries to Alumni related matters, including the incorporation of all previous data systems, Cramer concludes.

 

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The Blue Couch Podcast: The importance of Digital Skills for Educators

The Digital Age has evoked both fear and excitement in most if not all of us. The myths, misconceptions, unreliable and reliable sources of data that surround us, make it is easy for one to fall into the vast majority of people who are yet to comprehend the loosely thrown terms such as AI, Machine […]

Read more
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Recap and Q&A: Digital Course Development Project Management

Many higher education institutions across the world are forced to move to blended learning. As a leader in blended learning in higher education, Eiffel Corp is providing free resources and online support through our series of webinars.

Let us help you develop your skills, improve understanding of these tools and implement them effectively.

This is a recap of our webinar on, “Digital Course Development Project Management” Below are some questions asked during the session, with our answers. The webinar recording can be found at the end of the questions.

Question 1: Firstly, thank you to all the participants, presenters, and our lovely hosts. Please advise on the software applications that you can recommend as project tools?

There are so many different tools out there.

  1. Choose something that will work for you, your team and the client. Keep in mind not everyone can read a project plan and a lot of people don’t understand project plans, so sometimes a simple excel sheet can also do the job.
  2. Ask around in your institution, what PM software do they use?
  3. Another factor to keep in mind is cost, as some of these tools can be very expensive.
  4. First, try it out before you buy. Almost all project management tools come with a free trial. Even if they don’t, many companies are happy to offer one if you ask.

I personally prefer to use MS Projects.

Question 2: Do we include students as one of the stakeholders during the Initiation stage? If we do, what role do we expect them to play during the Kickoff meeting?

No, I would not advise that. For the Kick-off meeting only include the key decision-makers and sort out all the nitty-gritty parts of the project. Once that is sorted, you can set up a meeting with all the lecturer to explain the project, processes and timelines.  Maybe you can add 1 Student Representative to your meetings, or create a student survey if you want their feedback/inputs.

Question 3: How do I go about analysing my stakeholders for my project? Are there templates for analysing stakeholders?

Herewith a nice link that might help you: https://masterofproject.com/blog/7514/top-5-stakeholders-analysis-techniques-in-projects-stakeholder-analysis-in-project-management

Question 4: Good afternoon, firstly let me apologize I joined late so maybe you did answer this question already. How often do you review the courses that have been developed? Do you wait for SMEs to start this process or do you initiate it? Thank you.

I think it will be very valuable to review your course at least once a year unless there are other critical or major changes in the content. I’m currently working with an Institution who review their courses after each intake.

 

 

 

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Recap: Engaging Students in the Online Environment

Many higher education institutions across the world are forced to move to blended learning. As a leader in blended learning in higher education, Eiffel Corp is providing free resources and online support through our series of webinars.

Let us help you develop your skills, improve understanding of these tools and implement them effectively.

This is a recap of our webinar on, “Engaging students in the online environment.” Below are some questions asked during the session, with our answers. And the video of the webinar can be seen at the end of the questions.

 

Question: Can we create support for students who are studying remotely? Not all of our students will be able to be online all the time. (Hemali Joshi)
Answer: There are many low tech ways we can engage with our students, such as SMS and email. Although they are not ideal, or too supportive of a community they can help learners to feel ‘linked into a greater learning community.
 
Question: How do we provide support and be present in large classes, especial in an online environment? (Sibongile Mnisi)
Answer: In large the classes it would be a good idea to divide the class into groups. The use of tutors and mentors to assist with these groups can be beneficial. Tutors and mentors can assist the learners as well as feedback important information back the lecturer/instructor.
 
Question: How do we introduce students to padlet/Lino when they have never used it before? Maybe you would like them to do the assignment using that tool or any other tool in that case. (Sibongile Mnisi)
Answer: It is really important to ensure that we give clear instructions when introducing a new tool, where possible add a “how-to video” for students who are struggling with the technology. A suggestion would be to give the students access to the new tool, and give them some time to explore the tool and then present how to use it to their colleagues in the face-to-face setting.
 
Question: How do we encourage silent/quiet learners to participate (Socila loafing) (Sibongile Mnisi).
1. Lecturers should identify so-called “shy students”. After identifying “shy students”, lecturers can create a journal which is a private tool. Then gradually when the students gain confidence, the lecturer can add more students into the journal and students can be moved to the open discussion.
2. Lecturer need to keep contact with “shy students” in the discussion forum by asking questions like are you fine, why you haven’t yet posted your comment, etc
During the discussion, Elvis also discussed the CREST+ model. Here is a link to more information about this model:
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Key benefits of a cloud-based SIS 

Deciding on a Student Information System is no small feat. While it can change management processes for the better, there are various factors to take into consideration. The system helps institutions manage student data – from registering students to documenting grading and assessments and communicating across the board. The system also provides a central point where all information is collected and processed.  

One of the major questions institutions have is whether to store this information/data on an institutional server or in the cloud. With security being a concern no the one hand, as well as ‘space’ to store data. While hosting on a local server may seem like the ‘safer’ options, there are various advantages to opting for a cloud host. According to Serosoft Solutions, 62% of the higher education IT leaders say cloud is vital to their institutional future competitiveness and reduced cost with an average saving of 21%. Here are a few key benefits of a cloud-based SIS.  

Virtual Space 

A big advantage of hosting data with a cloud service provider is space. Access to more space means that institutions can handle higher volumes of inquiries and admissions. This reflects directly on the performance of the institution. 

Saving Costs 

From an operational perspective, there are clear financial benefits to host data on a cloud-based server.  From the outset, opting for a SIS based hosted on a cloud server saves an institution in capital expenses, from equipment cost to human resources, as well as on-premises deployment. Institutions can also save on infrastructure costs, as storage of servers requires a specific environment and security. Servers may also require on-site visits by IT technicians, maintenance and on-site upgrades. The cloud allows for easy access to upgrades, is instantly scalable and users can be added or removed as needed at the click of a few buttons.

Security 

While the perception could be there that the cloud is not as secure as a server room, it has actually become the better option when it comes to security. Security used to mean locking a server room or implementing long passwords, but today it means protecting data 24/7. Using a reputable cloud-based service provider warrants better security. Each aspect of a SIS needs to be protected with a holistic approach to minimise natural, human or technical disruptions. With the cloud-based server, these considerations are a given. 

Ease of access 

The cloud allows for immediate sharing of information and operating systems across the institution. It offers instant visibility, a standardised administrative process and the opportunity to roll out any changes across the board immediately.  

From user experience, institutions have had challenges with regards to data maintenance or management on their own data center. That is why a cloud server with data backup offers a solution that can benefit an institution on every level. Academia SIS offers the option of cloud base operations and therefore Institutions are able to optimise the application of their resources, increase productivity and profitability.  

Why not contact us today to learn how Academia SIS can help your institution save time and resources, increase the security of data and enable efficiency – whether through cloud-based servers or optimised integration with your LMS.   

 

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Webinar online content
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Writing content for the online environment: Recap and Q&A

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela

Keep on changing the world through what you do – without disruption.

Many higher education institutions across the world are forced to move to blended learning. As a leader in blended learning in higher education, Eiffel Corp is providing free resources and online support through our series of webinars.

Here are some questions that were asked during our first Webinar on, “Writing content for the online environment”, along with their answers:

Q: What is your advice for Universities in supporting students with connectivity & access to LMS and other recommended learning sites? 

A: Universities have to have Wifi at the campus, computer labs and again with the new agreement between government and ISP to allow students to access content hosted in the university hub for free. So universities have to host their content into their hubs then students will be able to access them for free. The government is also working with an increased number of service providers to zero certain sites. The institutions should consult with providers for a list of services that are being qualified.

Q: If your learners have multiple assessments they’re supposed to do or keep up with at more or less the same time, how do you ensure the flow of events so that they don’t end up confused? e.g if they’re supposed to reflect on each unit of the content, then at the same time they have other assessments.

A: Lecturers need to communicate (Collaborate) with each other to ensure they give students enough time to work on their assignments. I know this is a bit difficult as each lecturer wants his/her students to do their works. Students as well must be able to manage their schedules to ensure they submit their assignments on time. If possible, lecturers should consider alternative assessment types if not summative that suit the online approach.

 Q: What is the best way to include Youtube videos that have already been recorded and are available online to cover some Units for the content? Also in this platform is there an App that sends messages to student mobile phones directly for interaction?

A: You can embed youtube videos in the institution’s LMS and as well you can provide youtube links to the students. You need as well to ask librarians the institution policy regarding youtube and creative commons. If your LMS supports mobile updates then you should be able to send messages to students via the platform over a data network – this usually means the students have to have the mobile for the LMS in use.

 Q: How do we support lecturers who are still at the basic stages of using technology in their teaching and now they see themselves having technology as the only option they have to engage with their students?

A: You can create a community where lecturers can share their experiences and upskills themselves. At Eiffel Corp, we provide short training to upskills lecturers.

 Q: There are a couple of institutions that are currently busy with registration, meaning some students may not have access to Blackboard. Can you advise on available alternative technologies that can be used with Blackboard to enhance teaching and learning? This is to cater to the students who are yet to be registered.

A: We think the best way is to make the content available for late registration and offer to catch up support once they have registered.

Missed our webinar? Or need a recap? View below:

 

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Eiffel Corp: The story of “us”

Eiffel Corp has been in the educational technology space for close to a quarter of a century. While we are well known for our services and solutions that we sell, few know the story behind the blue Eiffel Tower logo. Here is a bit more about how it all began.

Eiffel Corp was founded in 1998 by husband and wife, Gwen and Andre van der Merwe. Both Gwen and Andre had a background in Education. While Gwen went on to become a teacher, Andre decided to take a different path, swapping a potential career in Education for the IT world.  Intrigued by IT, but not so much the corporate world, Andre always remained passionate about Education. As Andre so eloquently puts it, he indeed “left education, but education never left [him].” Therefore, it was almost inevitable that Andre’s interest in the IT World would at some point meet up with his latent passion for Education.

Where Internet and Education Would Meet

It was the 1990s and the rise of the internet, that would light the spark of this underlying passion for Education in Andre. Seeing the accelerated impact of the internet in other sectors, Andre had a gut feeling that somehow education and the internet would meet somewhere. Andre’s intuition was that our future would somehow be based on the inflexion point between Education and Technology – the possibilities of what this would look like were endless. Andre took it upon himself to analyse these possibilities.

A Calculated Leap of Faith

With the support of Gwen, Andre took a very calculated leap of faith and stepped away from everything else for six months – searching to find cases where his theory on education and technology had been proven. Indeed, Andre would find a case in Ireland. Unfortunately, while this company had offered EdTech products that were pioneering, they weren’t ready to pioneer into Africa. So, Andre did the logical thing and approached their most significant competitor.

WebCT – Technology for Education, by Educators

Andre found what he was looking for in WebCT (Web Course Tools). This was a solution that not only embraced new technology but was created with education in mind. Spearheading WebCT was Murray Goldberg of the University of British Columbia, Canada.  The internet brought many new opportunities within Education. One such option was that of Web-Based learning environments. Web-Based learning was essentially a mirror image of the classroom, projected online. The question was how to increase educational outputs, by marrying online with face-to-face teaching and learning. As an Educator himself, Murray was eager to find a solution that would have an impact on Education as a whole. During his search for an answer, Goldberg found building a course for online purposes was both time consuming and expensive. And here is the “a-ha” moment – Goldberg decided to create a platform that would be easy to use and speed up the process of creating web-based learning environments. This was the birth of WebCT. WebCT became a worldwide catalyst for online learning, starting from 1997.

The Birth of Eiffel Corp

Andre reached out to a very surprised Goldberg, to see how we could introduce Africa to WebCT. It did not take long for Andre and Murray to find common grounds, and Andre signed a half-page agreement to sell WebCT to at least three universities per year. This was the start of Eiffel Corp – and the rest is, as they say, history.

Why ‘Eiffel Corp’

While the name “Eiffel” Corp may seem far removed from both Africa and Education, there is a very specific underlying meaning to this name. Much like our company, the Eiffel Tower was ahead of its time. It was an innovative piece of art, reflecting the advances made during the industrial revolution. Ahead of its time, the impressive structure married the strength of steel with mechanisation made possible through technology. Few may know that this “piece of art” was initially completely rejected by the community of Paris.  While the Eiffel Tower was both functional and beautiful (to some), it took years before the Eiffel Tower was accepted as more than an eye-sore in Paris’ skyline. Today it is embraced by the Parisians as so much more – it is the icon of Paris, a symbol of innovation and a beacon for the future.

Hence, the name “Eiffel” Corp refers to technology brought to Africa ahead of its time. Andre and Gwen dared to upset the norm and “erect a tower” in Education that signalled a change.  Eifel Corp has in many ways, paved the way to an Education Sector in South Africa, and Africa for that matter. Setting up a “tower” and changing the Education landscape in South Africa – forever.

Built to Last

Eiffel Corp was born out of two people with a passion for education and one’s particular need to marry his passion for Education with his knowledge of the IT world. Twenty-one years later, the marriage of Education and Technology makes more sense than ever before.

Much like it is impossible to imagine Paris without its Eiffel Tower, Education cannot be separated from technology.

In fact, in 2020 the digital technology landscape in education has changed drastically from where we started. Furthermore, the speed at which it is continually changing is unprecedented. Tools on offer are no longer about accessing information but offer real-time interaction  – from submitting and accessing information, to socialising online, to having conversations with an artificial intelligence assistant. It has become a real-time opportunity for not only virtual education, but for incorporating face-to-face education with the virtual realm for both teaching and learning; but also impacts the management of institutions in its entirety.

From the very inception of Eiffel Corp, we were asking the right questions. Now, with a team with over 440 years of combined experience, we have been and will be ready to constantly develop and apply technology solutions that “make sense” in the changing digital landscape.

The proof has not been in our successes, but in the success stories of how technological solutions have made a difference in the lives of the nearly 10 million students, we have been involved with through our clients over the past 21 years.

Today, just as from the beginning, Eiffel Corp is constantly striving to find new technologies that enable education – taking its outcomes to the next level and South Africa into the future.

How can we help? Contact us for relevant EdTech solutions.

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Registration matters – How can Academia SIS help your institution

It has been a rough start to the Academic year in South Africa. This is not the first year that institutions have been faced with more than the usual administration challenges with registration. In fact, some campuses have come to a complete standstill for a second or third time. South African institutions face major challenges. High demands for further education combined with a lack of funds for registration, student fees, accommodation and food even. Our student financial aid scheme cannot keep up with the demands.  Without finalising the registration process, most institutions cannot move forward with the academic year.

Registration involves a high level of management and labour-intensive processes. How can Academia SIS (student information system) help your institution

Automates the Process

With Academia SIS this entire process is automated. Admins staff no longer have to spend time on collecting and collating documents and forms – the student registration and admission management system sorts out the forms and stores them in a digital format for easy access. Payments? Done! The SIS sends out automated invoices, payment receipts, acknowledgements and reminder emails when needed.

Keep up with students

Students rarely stick to their original module choices.  With every registration, a student’s personal information has to be double-checked, along with their academic history and financial records. With an SIS this process is simplified through automation.

The system also allows user to map students to specific programmes and courses, set their enrolment per semester or show faculty-specific enrolment in departments and courses.

All information in one place

Academia SIS’ Registration Module handles the entire process of registration, ensuring the latest information on each student is stored in one central place. All details are associated with the student’s profile are collected and collated – including, but not limited to: their family details; previous schooling information; academic records; birth certificates; financials (who is responsible for accounts); blood group; physical details; vaccination details; conduct/behaviour; identity photographs.

Aside from linking all personal information to a profile, your institution can also keep track of all fees paid, assign a course or class to them, along with their student number.

Interested in to find out your registration process could be improved? Contact us for a demo.

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Why use Turnitin?

As you may know, Turnitin can be described as an electronic text matching system that compares text in a student assignment against a database of sources. Once compared and processed, the system generates an originality report in which ‘matched’ text is underlined and colour coded. These indicators are then linked to either the original source or a similar document on Turnitin’s database. As a result, Turnitin also gives an indication of the proportion of the submitted work that matches other sources.

So, while many would refer to using Turnitin as a plagiarism detection tool, it is not actually detecting plagiarism as such. When used correctly – Turnitin flags articles that have a large portion of text that is similar to what is already published. It is then up to the moderator or lecturer to investigate whether the academic work is indeed plagiarised.

Turnitin as a time-saving tool

In South Africa (and in the world) there has been what is called a ‘massification’ of education. High student enrolment as part of the motivation for students to build a better future for themselves. The high numbers in classes impact the teaching and learning space. This means less contact time with students, leading to a compromise on quality assurance (Mahabeer and Pirtheepal, 2019). The large numbers of students in the classroom often lead to a lecturer who is overwhelmed with the volume of assignments that need to be marked. With the help of Turnitin flagging similarity, students are forced to review and amend articles that do not score well. When used correctly, this can contribute to quality control and more refined assignments being handed in. Consequently, the lecturers’ assessment load is lifted.

Turnitin as a teaching tool

The sentiment of students is often that Turnitin instils fear – acting as a policing that is out to get the student. When in fact, Turnitin as a tool can actually benefit both the student and the institution. Recent studies have shown that many students in South Africa plagiarise because they are not well equipped to write academically. Often language barriers play a larger role. Often students in fact commit plagiarism unintentionally, simply because they do not know how to cite and report the ideas of others in academic writing.

This is where Turnitin can benefit students and institutions. If used as a teaching tool, Turnitin’s reports can contribute to enhancing students’ writing skills, building their confidence and in the long run reduce pressure and anxiety when it comes to submitting work.

 

Diagram 2 (Source: Rogerson, 2014)

Turnitin as a creator of a culture of integrity

It is this system of reviewing, amending and uploading that helps a student to improve on their writing abilities. Students also become aware of the difference between arguing their own, original ‘case’, supported by other authors’ reasoning – as opposed to writing an article that is filled with the opinions of others. Learning what plagiarism entails and building confidence while developing a specific writing style, students learn to reap the rewards of original writing. This is the ultimate benefit of Turnitin as a tool for preventing plagiarism. Not catching out students, but rather creating a culture of academic integrity through its processes.

Is your institution already using Turnitin? If not, and you would like to find out more, please get in touch with us for an obligation free demo. Work towards a culture of Academic Integrity, starting today!

Get in touch - Learn more about Turnitin

Sources consulted:

Rogerson, A. 2014.‘Turnitin Overview’ PowerPoint presentation, University of Wollongong, viewed 27 October 2014.

Mahabeer, P and Pirtheepal T. 2019. Assessment, plagiarism and its effect on academic integrity: Experiences of academics at a university in South Africa. S Afr J Sci. 2019;115(11/12), Art. #6323, 8 pages. https://doi.org/10.17159/ sajs.2019/6323

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