Stellenbosch University (SU) has launched SU Advantage, an innovative online learning and teaching solution focusing on supporting high school learners and teachers in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase (Grade 10, 11 and 12).
SU Advantage, which can be accessed from any smart device, combines short, effective learning content with live interactive educational support focused on the most important topics that learners need to understand to improve their comprehension of crucial lessons taught in class.
The official launch of SU Advantage took place at STIAS in Stellenbosch last night (17 March). Amongst the guests at the event were Prof Thuli Madonsela (Chair in Social Justice at the Faculty of Law), Prof Nico Koopman (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Social Impact, Transformation & Personnel), Dr Benedict Khoboli (Director of the SU Centre for Pedagogy or SUNCEP) and Prof Mbulungeni Madiba (Dean Faculty of Education).
Guests' enthusiasm and support towards the online learning platform have been confirmed by Prof Madonsela, who stated in her keynote address that SU Advantage would build on social justice in democratic South Africa. "SU Advantage can contribute (to social justice) primarily through advancing access to education information and knowledge, bridging the gap and minimising isolation of many historically disadvantaged children and educators," said Madonsela.
"Many young learners can now access education. SU Advantage is one of many building blocks in solving the economic educational inequalities," she said.
Aligned with Madonsela's observation, the platform's educational support is not only easily accessible but also focuses on 11 school subjects. These subjects are offered in English and comprise short-form video lessons, topic-based assessments and quizzes, consolidated workbooks, memo-based reconciliation and in-depth live lessons.
"Recognising the challenges that the country's education system is currently facing and the economic impact Covid-19 has had on many families, Stellenbosch University decided to create this accessible online solution. Our Vision 2040 states amongst others that we're inclusive and innovative, advancing knowledge in the service of society. An initiative like SU Advantage is perfectly aligned with our vision and will have a positive impact in the communities we serve," said Prof Wim de Villiers, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, in a video played at the event.
Pioneering the initiative is Khoboli. "Educators are under increasing pressure to improve pass rates and learner performance. However, the reality is that resources are limited, and classrooms are simply too full to accommodate the needs of all learners," says Khoboli.
"Research has indicated that these challenges led to 48% of South African high school learners indicating that they are not satisfied with their school performance. Out of this group, 40% of learners said that the reason for their unsatisfactory performance was that they are not getting enough individual attention in class.[1] The situation might even worsen with the closures of schools and the disruptions to teaching and learning, resulting in the reversal of gains made in the last 20 years – due to Covid-19. These measures indicate that between 50% and 75% of a normal year's worth of learning was lost during 2020 [2].
"Our goal is not to replace traditional mainstream schooling, and SU Advantage is therefore not an online school. Instead, SU Advantage is meant to enhance and amplify what learners are exposed to in classrooms. This is what is meant with supplementary education," says Khoboli.
The content and resources developed for the platform have been created in alignment with generally accepted pedagogical principles, explains Khoboli. "All resources available on the platform have been created by experienced educators, who are teachers that have excelled in their teaching careers. Simply put, the learning material available on SU Advantage is of high quality and designed so that it ensures a holistic understanding on the side of learners.
Building on SUNCEP's years of experience with learner enhancement programmes in the FET phase, SU Advantage is now available in the open market. It can be used by any learner who subscribes to the platform. "Covid-19 brought about the opportunity to refine and expand the programme and adapt it to be applicable for a mass market," explains Khoboli.
The University's platform is forward-looking. SU Advantage does not purport to be a short-term solution for learners. Instead, it is a platform created to help learners perform better in school, life beyond and in their future careers. Ultimately, they have upward economic mobility in mind.
"We've made it our mandate to make tertiary education a reality for more South African youths. By providing foundational support to high school learners in the senior phases of their educational journey, SU Advantage can help them to improve their chances of getting accepted into tertiary learning institutions," adds Khoboli.
In fact, SU Advantage boasts a range of career guidance tools, which effectively assist learners in getting a bird's eye view of exactly what is required of them to pursue their dreams. These tools include online aptitude tests, which are seamlessly integrated with the University's available courses so that learners can get a clear sense of the fields of study best suited to their personality and school performance.
Parents and learners can register to use SU Advantage by visiting www.suadvantage.co.za. At the same time, the business community and private donors are also invited to partner with SUNCEP to help them grow the community of FET learners from schools with limited resources to access SU Advantage and thereby democratise educational support in South Africa.
- Soundbites (Prof Wim de Villiers and Dr Benedict Khoboli), photos and videos are available here.
- The recording of the event can be accessed here.
[1] Maritz, R., Mogari, D. and Coetzee, H., 2009. Investigating the status of supplementary tuition in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Pythagoras, 2009(69), pp.36-45.
[2] https://www.gov.za/speeches/basic-education-concerned-level-learning-losses-suffered-due-covid-19-19-aug-2021-0000
