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Artificial Intelligence, 4IR, Digitalisation, and other popular phrases used to describe recent technological developments carry no meaning for the destitute population of South Africa.
These assertions were made by delegates at the 2024 NEMISA Digital Skills Summit hosted in partnership with WSU and UNISA this February.
According to WSU senior lecturer in the Applied Informatics and Mathematical Sciences Department, Dr Olutoyin Olaiton and her counterpart, Nosipho Mavuso, there remains a need to bridge the gap between the affluent and the less fortunate.
The pair presented a paper titled: “Education 5.0: Is South African Higher Education Ready?”, which sought to investigate HEIs’ readiness for the latest paradigm shift in teaching and learning in higher education.
Olaiton asserted that Education 5.0 was the recent buzzword in academia, characterised by hyper-personalization, student agency, lifelong learning, and the seamless integration of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in the educational process.
“The primary concerns associated with Education 5.0 in South Africa are inequality and limited resources. South Africa faces numerous social challenges, including income disparity, high crime rates, gender-based violence, and unemployment. To effectively implement Education 5.0, there is a need for relevant curriculum enrichment, instructional materials development, responsive teacher preparation and the formulation of pertinent policies, capabilities, and funding,” said Olaiton.
Olaiton recalled instances where she had dealt with first time entering students from impoverished backgrounds who lacked the most basic computer skills, and as such had to be equipped with these skills before tackling their curriculum.
“We cannot run away from the context of the student, especially in Africa. We are all a product of our context. First of all, as a lecturer you have to ensure that a student understands how to use computers to their advantage. Then make sure they understand how to approach their studies in a way that promotes lifelong learning,” said Olaiton.
In a separate panel discussion, Director for the NEMISA funded WSU e-Skills CoLab, Sibukele Gumbo said that infrastructure which would enable a seamless technological skills training was still a major problem for rural Eastern Cape.
“We get to these rural areas and find that people are excited to learn these new skills. We bring laptops, and routers with data, but we struggle with connectivity,” said Gumbo.
Olaiton further added that “the successful implementation of Education 5.0 requires strategic investments, innovative curriculum designs, faculty empowerment, and a robust policy framework.”
“By addressing these challenges head-on, South Africa can bridge educational disparities and usher in a future-ready generation equipped to navigate the uncertainties of the evolving technological world journey towards Education 5.0,” said Olaiton.
By Yanga Ziwele
