Edtech Solutions Designed to help you focus on what REALLY matters Developing a new generation of the C-suite

As the world settles into the “new normal” one thing is clear — there is no going back to the way things were before the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Remote work is now the norm, and virtual learning and digital education strategies are here to stay. This is why African tech solution provider Oneconnect and global ed-tech leader Blackboard are committed to offering solutions that help raise the bar for business schools and executive education institutions’ digital experience, allowing clients to focus on what truly matters — teaching and learning.

Online learning has progressed beyond just a pandemic-driven necessity as more education providers and consumers reap the benefits of virtual interactions. These include self-paced learning, increased flexibility, better time management, improved virtual communication and collaboration, refined critical thinking skills and a broader, global perspective.

A shift to virtual learning also holds benefits for the education provider. This according to chairman and MD of Oneconnect Rogers Sithole, who says new doors open when institutions of learning decide to invest in their digital offerings: “Traditionally, education has been confined to the boundaries of a classroom, and the business of education was limited by the number of times four walls could be constructed to give us a classroom.”

Institutions were limited in this way, and the pool of potential students was limited to those who had access to their geographical location. These institutions could grow, but were always limited to the amount of space available and the physical resources they could access.

This, says Sithole, is no longer the case. “We help these institutions see that they can grow their businesses beyond brick and mortar, and do so quickly, breaking down walls to reach students beyond their physical geography to provide teaching and learning to remote students.”

Both Oneconnect and Blackboard share a belief, and this forms the basis of their highly successful partnership — everyone, regardless of geography, financial situation, stage of life or disability deserves access to education and a connected support system.

More than just a virtual classroom

But, Sithole adds, this entails much more than just providing an online meeting room or virtual classroom space: “We offer solutions for every stage of the education cycle, and an online teaching space is only one part of that. Most digital platforms were not created with teaching in mind. Our solutions are built with the end goal in mind; our virtual classrooms were designed specifically for education.” After all, simply meeting online is not the same as teaching online.

These conversations, he says, are important, because the world is never going back to the way things were done. “By embracing this, our clients have been able to expand their presence to geographies they could never have dreamed of accessing.”

These comprehensive edtech solutions are an adaptable, reliable and trusted tool that will help educators and learners reach new heights on their journey of lifelong learning. This is especially true in light of the fact that online and digital learning seem to be here to stay, and as more of the African continent and the world adopt blended or hybrid learning models. Even in face-to-face learning sessions and physical classrooms, Oneconnect and Blackboard solutions can be used as additional learning tools to help enhance the teacher-learner experience.

“Our goal is to enable institutions to leverage Blackboard’s technologies to empower our students to achieve their learning outcomes through the use of modern technology, and to be capable of harnessing the potential of the fourth industrial revolution,” says Sithole. “This partnership is built on shared goals and a mutual drive to further education and empower educators, students and executive education institutions alike.”

Oneconnect can also assist institutions to create learning content that is accessible and engaging, and through Blackboard understand the trends within their school. This is done by making use of turnkey enrolment and learning management systems to track registrations, graduations and other key data — data that already exists, but often remains unused.

Tailored for Africa’s unique context

“Blackboard’s extensive experience in the country has allowed us to provide a solution suite that is responsive to the South African education context. The Blackboard community in South Africa is one of our most vibrant communities globally and has played a major role in influencing our product roadmap. Our success in South Africa is exemplified by the ease with which our partner institutions managed to pivot to online teaching and learning during Covid-19 pandemic” states Dr Melvin Govender, Country Manager, Blackboard in South Africa .

“We are looking forward to building more partnerships in the executive education space. We are confident that our best in-class solution suite will assist in driving our partners digital teaching and learning vision,” said Govender.

What’s on offer?

Blackboard offers a number of innovative and game-changing solutions for the modern executive education institution. The first is Blackboard Collaborate - Your Virtual Classroom Solution. Through interactive whiteboarding, chronological hand-raise notifications, extensive chat features, on-demand polls, moderated breakout groups and more, Blackboard Collaborate allows educators to encourage student collaboration in innovative ways. Collaborate’s real-time feedback features also mean instructors aren’t left guessing if their lesson is hitting the mark. This means educators can confidently engage their entire class or provide personal attention through group discussions, one-on-one office hours and every configuration in between.

Blackboard Learn Ultra – Clearing the Path to Modern Learning. This is a new, user-focused experience in the form of a modern, intuitive and personalised digital Learning Management System (LMS). It is characterised by simplified workflows and an accessible, fully responsive design — making it easier than ever to teach and learn, from any device.

Blackboard Ally for LMS: Education & Universal Design is a revolutionary product that integrates seamlessly into existing learning management systems and focuses on making digital course content more accessible. Institutions can then have a more inclusive learning environment and improve the student experience by helping them take clear control of course content with usability, accessibility and quality in mind.

While many new providers offer solutions for digital classrooms, few have mastered the art of e-assessment and Proctoring. Traditionally, students would write exams in a controlled environment. This was always a physical exam venue where they were closely monitored by an invigilator, separated from academic resources and aids like textbooks, study notes or mobile devices with internet access. Students would sit in silence to dissuade answer sharing.

With today’s technology, however, students can write online assessments from the comfort of their homes, all while the learning institution maintains the integrity of the assessment or examination process.

Govender says:“oneconnect and Blackboard solutions utilise state-of-the-art facial recognition to authenticate the identity of the person in front of the screen, as well as their attentiveness during the exam, while also locking the browsers and ports to block any external input. Artificial Intelligence is used to analyse the typing patterns as another form of authentication.”

Education: Accessible, futurefocused and democratised

Sithole says this is what the future of learning looks like. “We’ve got this award-winning solution that takes the whole assessment space into consideration, and in this way we can ensure that institutions are able to not only teach, but also conduct high-quality assessments that guarantee integrity in their processes, especially when it comes to high-stake exams and tests.”

This falls within the Oneconnect-blackboard vision. In this way, Africa can assume its rightful place as an education and industry leader, ensuring the business leaders of tomorrow are supported, enabled and educated today.

Both Sithole and Govender urge institutions that want to play a part in enabling educators and students to get the most from their education journey and ensure the offerings at their educational institution are elevated to the next level.

Sithole says the best way to get the process started is through engagement: “We don’t have to talk about specific technologies; rather, let’s start a conversation about education in this day and age, and the direction that teaching and learning is heading in the future. Let’s talk about how it works, and how it could and should work, and let’s see what we can do to make it work for you.

“We can help you create content that fits with your existing platforms, or explore new platform solutions that are tailor-made to your context. We can assist in training your educators to make sure that they are not excluded from this transition, and to ensure that their skills and expertise are retained, even as the educational landscape changes.

“It’s important for you as an institution to have a roadmap — a strategy that shows how to move from where you are to where you need to be, while ensuring that no student is left behind. Reach out to us and let’s discuss your processes and how to align your current situation to your end goals.”

For more information, contact Oneconnect on info@oneconnect.co.za