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13 August 2018
Technology and mentoring key in UFS approach to learner success
The University of the Free State has been changing the lives of high school learners through its Internet Broadcast Project.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has been changing the lives of high school learners through its Internet Broadcast Project (IBP). The project was established in 2011, with the vision of taking quality education to all learners across the Free State province, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds.  

The UFS IDEAS Lab, located on the UFS South Campus, is home to the IBP. Every day, the IBP transmits lessons to 83 schools spread across five districts in the Free State for learners in Grades 8 to 12. Learners also have electronic access to this material, which is presented for more than 15 school subjects. 

The benefits of technology

A collaboration with the university and the Free State Department of Education, the project includes support for subjects such as Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Science, Economics, Accounting, and Geography. The technology provided at each school allows learners to communicate with the presenter in the studio during a broadcast at no cost to the school or learner.

"The UFS is proud to be associated with the Department of Education and salutes it for the many initiatives in schools across the province, which contributed to outstanding matric results,” said Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor. 

In 2017, Free State MEC for Education, Tate Makgoe, made special mention of the IBP for the role it played in contributing towards the best matric results in the Free State for the second consecutive year. Other former successes of the IBP include the announcement of the project as the winner of the 2015 Enterprise Video Award (EVA) in the category Video in Education Scholarship. This makes it two in a row, since the IBP also won an EVA in 2014 for Innovation in Pedagogy.

Motivated by dreams of something better

Makgoe said that part of the success of the province can be attributed to the project. Many of the top-performing schools had learners who participated in the IBP. In 2017, the Xhariep District, one of the districts forming part of the project, was named the top-performing district in the province, and second in the country. 

“Dreams and goals that you set for yourself are what keep you motivated, even if you are on the verge of giving up. Your dreams will motivate you to work harder and keep going,” says Lefu Matlala, a former IBP learner from Lefikeng Secondary School in Botshabelo. Lefu successfully used the IBP to support his learning and matriculated as one of the top five in the province in 2017. Through the help of the IBP and his teachers, Lefu scored 99% for Mathematics, 96% for Physical Sciences, and 85% for Geography. 

Social Responsibility Enterprises 

The Social Responsibility Enterprises (SRE) focuses on the mentoring of teachers in order to make a sustainable impact. A total of 78 schools in the Free State, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape benefit from this programme. SRE mentors assist school principals with school management, while teachers in Mathematics, Physical Science, Accounting, and English as a language of learning are assisted in mastering of curriculum content, pedagogy, and classroom management. The project has an annual budget of more than R15 million – all of which comes from sponsors outside the UFS.

Mentors visit schools and share knowledge, extra material, and technology to improve the standard of teaching. The change has been significant. Matric results, Mathematics pass rates, and Physical Science pass rates have improved dramatically in these schools. Another aspect is the identification of learners with potential (so-called first-generation students) to go to university. They are assisted through extra classes and in applying for tertiary education and bursaries.

Many of them (782) are currently studying at the UFS, and also receive mentorship at the university. HS van der Walt, Head of Social Responsibility Enterprises, says his team is proud to be part of the process of helping the Free State to become the No 1 province in the country again.

News Archive

Prof Melanie Walker to spearhead international organisation
2014-06-02

 
Prof Melanie Walker has just added another phenomenal achievement to her illustrious academic career. Members of the international Human Development and Capabilities Association (HDCA) have elected her to the leading role of Vice-President.

Founded in 2004 by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, the HDCA is a global community of academics and practitioners. Together, they seek to build an intellectual community around the ideas of human development and the capability approach. Ultimately, the association strives to drive these ideas into the policy arena.

With members living in over 70 countries world-wide, the HDCA promotes research across a wide field of disciplines. These range from economics, philosophy and development studies to health, education, law, government, sociology and more.

In her new role, Prof Walker will be working closely with the renowned philosopher, Prof Henry Richardson of Georgetown University, USA. He is currently President-elect of the association. “My election as Vice-President will enable me to work closely with Henry and the Executive Committee to build on the first successful decade of the association to strengthen its reach and responsiveness to researchers, practitioners and policy makers,” Prof Walker says. “It is a tremendous honour to have been elected and a wonderful challenge for the next three years, personally and professionally. It will also place a significant spotlight on the human development and capabilities research I am leading at the UFS.”

Annually, the HDCA organises an international conference. This year celebrates a decade of successful symposiums and will take place in Athens. Eight Kovsie graduate students and researchers from the UFS’s Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development have had their papers accepted.

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