Free coding, robotics workshops for SA faculties

South African faculties are invited to affix Tangible Africa’s new 40 Classes programme, centered on serving to learners purchase coding and robotics abilities at a younger age.

Tangible Africa is an engagement venture of the Nelson Mandela College’s Computing Sciences Division and the Leva Basis, with the intention of introducing coding and robotics ideas to highschool youngsters.

Tangible Africa is a non-profit that strives to introduce learners to coding with out the usage of computer systems. It makes use of offline, cost-effective devices that may be efficient in eventualities the place electrical energy and web connectivity should not available, with no need lecturers or facilitators who’re certified programmers.

In accordance with an announcement, the initiative is being rolled out to varsities throughout the nation. Time period one’s Design Considering classes can be supplied freed from cost to faculties.

Tangible Africa’s offline coding equipment can be required, with a purpose to proceed with the teachings for the second time period, the place the offline coding video games, Boats and Tanks, can be included into the teachings.

Professor Jean Greyling, Tangible Africa founder and affiliate professor on the Nelson Mandela College Computing Sciences Division, explains: “By investigating the draft coding and robotics curriculum that was launched in March 2021 by the Division of Fundamental Schooling, we put collectively offline lesson plans overlaying the next subjects: design pondering, algorithms, computational pondering and digital citizenship.

“Two units of 40 Classes have been developed for basis part and the InterSen phases of main faculty (additionally relevant for grades eight to 9). The 40 Classes programme was designed with all South African faculties in thoughts, from the agricultural areas to the cities. We’re very conscious that 16 000 out of our 25 000 faculties would not have laptop labs.”

Faculties that have already got the coding kits would not have to purchase the rest. The coding kits are bought at a minimal price and the video games are performed offline.

The venture is sponsored by multinational chemical compounds firm BASF.

“Schooling is the important thing to the longer term success of our nation. BASF is dedicated to supporting the upliftment of instructional initiatives that equip South Africa’s future leaders with the required abilities for the fourth industrial revolution,” says Paul Mandersloot, Port Elizabeth website director of BASF’s Cellular Emissions Catalysts Division.

Time period one’s “Design Considering” programme will incorporate problem-solving in learners’ rapid communities and assist construct learners’ progress mind-set.

Time period two is concentrated on coding and robotics, based mostly on the Boats and Tanks coding apps, whereas time period three offers with computational pondering, introduced in a story means to assist develop logical pondering.

Academics won’t educate content material, however somewhat information and facilitate learners’ problem-solving processes, says Tangible Africa.

Time period 4’s theme, “Digital Citizenship”, was developed with the South African context in thoughts and centres on how learners use expertise and social media.

The intention is to maintain learners secure on-line and educate them to be good digital residents.

To search out out extra about Tangible Africa, contact professor Jean Greyling.