Paper Video teaches lessons on pupils’ cellphones
Paper Video gives high school pupils instant access to digital maths and science lessons for personalised tuition. Basic education in SA is poorly resourced, classrooms in public schools are overcrowded and the sector faces a serious shortage of professional teachers. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study placed Grade 8 and 9 pupils at the bottom of international rankings in the two subjects.
If all students could call their teachers at any time for help, education outcomes would probably improve.
Paper Video’s subject maps are available to students from grades 8 to 12, who can use their cellphones or computers to access video lessons for subjects including maths and accounting.
Paper Video is a team of experienced South African teachers who use innovation and technology drastically to increase the reach of their lessons. Founded by Chris Mills and Paul Maree in June 2014, the initiative received seed funding from the Millennium Trust and released the first set of resources (353 exam questions and solution videos for Grade 12 maths) in 2014.
In the two months preceding the 2014 national senior certificate final exams, Paper Video amassed more than 2,000 online users and 37,000 video views.
It now caters for maths, physical sciences, life sciences, natural sciences and accounting from Grade 8 to 12.
The Paper Video microSD card, containing thousands of videos, can be inserted into any Android device or Windows computer. Or students can use their phones to scan a QR code next to a subject map.
A video lesson with a qualified teacher, ranging from 30 minutes to two hours, appears on the device and takes the student through an entire concept, step by step.
Maree says it was an interesting challenge to create a completely new way of representing the Grade 8 and 9 CAPS (or Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement) curriculum so that anyone looking at the map could understand how the subjects progress and what topics need to be revisited if a student is struggling with something.
The subject maps cover the entire curriculum and make it easy for students to revise or catch up with sections missed. They can be used by students writing government and Independent Examinations Board exams.
A study conducted by education, publishing and assessment service Pearson highlights that pupils’ academic performances improve after using technological products.
Pearson executive director for technology in SA Nirvani Dhevcharran says that although technology can be used as a tool to enhance teaching capacity and professional skills, the success of digital technology in the classroom is determined largely by the digital knowledge of the teachers. The adoption of digital learning is growing in South African schools.
Maree points out that although there are a number of tech-based learning resources available, most students do not have access to the internet.
“We wanted to create a resource that does not exclude anyone based on their personal circumstances,” he says.
Free learning apps such as Duolingo, Math Expert and Complete Physics require an internet connection.
Other online education services, such as Siyavula, have monthly subscription fees. Vodacom also offers a range of educational apps and learning materials at a fee. Private lessons can cost between R49 and R250 an hour.
Paper Video relies primarily on corporate sponsorship of its resources, particularly those aimed at poor schools.
Its partnership with the Actuarial Society of SA, which began in 2015, was integral to its expansion.
“Their support has enabled corporate sponsors such as Investec, Momentum, Metropolitan and Swiss Re to donate funds towards the provision of resources to underprivileged learners,” says Maree. “Our biggest corporate supporters have been SAB, who have made annual donations since 2015 towards the sponsorship of our resources to learners from low-income areas.”
To date, the partnership between Paper Video and the Actuarial Society has resulted in the sponsorship of video-embedded exam books to more than 12,000 pupils in all the provinces.