D2L Brightspace has been implemented across technology hubs that can help support digitally-enabled learning, giving more than 8,000 learners access to tertiary education and employability
LONDON, UK – 19 MARCH, 2024 – D2L, a global learning technology company, shares that the Capitec Foundation, an independent, non-profit organisation, selected D2L Brightspace as its long term learning management system (LMS). Brightspace can help to deliver personalised, blended learning and development programmes for students, pre-service teachers and school leadership in South Africa.
Founded in 2015 by Capitec Bank, the Capitec Foundation is dedicated to creating a better future for young people. It partners with the Department of Basic Education (DBE), various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and tertiary institutions to reinforce a whole-school approach to help improve learning outcomes.
This includes increasing access to higher education and employment opportunities as well as providing training and development programmes for each of its schools. It runs a comprehensive pre-service teacher training programme to support nurturing a pipeline of future maths teachers and a school management development programme for leadership teams.
“In South Africa, we’ve seen decreasing enthusiasm for maths and science, and this led us to develop an approach that supports students and aspiring teachers in strengthening the maths ecosystem within schools,” said Mischkha Naicker, head of operations at the Capitec Foundation. “Maths not only opens doors to higher education, but also nurtures essential creative problem-solving skills in the workplace. That’s why we sought a partner who not only grasps the importance of our mission but can also support us as we grow.”
Due to ongoing socio-economic conditions, there are large gaps in the South African education system, which includes teacher shortages, a lack of resources, a failing infrastructure and overcrowded classrooms. There is also an uneven distribution of technology, poor Wi-fi connectivity and a lack of affordable internet access which has resulted in a vast digital literacy and mathematical skills gap.
When partnering with a school, The Capitec Foundation takes a holistic approach to help improving learning outcomes. This involves refining school leadership and teacher training initiatives alongside establishing fully equipped technology hubs to boost internet access and facilitate hybrid learning.
Before choosing D2L, the Capitec Foundation identified the need for a flexible platform that could complement its ambitious growth plans and could help deliver valuable learning analytics to track student progress and data. It required a scalable platform that can enable personalised, experiential learning and provide detailed reporting across each of its technology hubs. Most importantly, the platform needed to be able to help facilitate collaboration between students and teachers and provide easy access to resources.
Brightspace’s ease of use meant that The Capitec Foundation could onboard learners more quickly and easily. Performance+ can deliver powerful analytics that can help enable real-time reports to be created and shared with stakeholders to track the success and impact of the programme.
“We wanted to remove all barriers to learning by introducing a platform that was accessible to all students—regardless of geography, demographics or social mobility,” explained Susan Brundrit, learning programmes manager at the Capitec Foundation. “D2L has been with us every step of the way, and the team is always available to help troubleshoot a problem. We are a small team of seven and with D2L’s support we were able to roll this programme out to more than 8,000 users in just four months with no issues. Looking ahead, we are aiming to reach 14,000 users, including 50 pre-service teachers, across 25 schools. Brightspace will be critical to scaling our programmes and reaching more learners, teachers and school leaders.”
“South Africa is an extremely important market for us, and we have a deep understanding of the various obstacles and technology access issues that many local learners can face,” said Stewart Watts, vice president EMEA, D2L. “We are honoured to help play a role in the achievements of The Capitec Foundation, as this is a great example of technology being used for good. The team has made significant progress in a relatively short space of time, and we look forward to seeing the long-term impact of this programme as it expands to other areas of the country.”
For more insight into how D2L and the Capitec Foundation are working together, please visit: https://www.d2l.com/en-eu/why-d2l/customers/widening-access-to-maths-learning-in-south-africa/
ABOUT D2L
D2L is transforming the way the world learns—helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our growing global workforce is dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than they found it. Learn more about D2L for K–12, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.
ABOUT CAPITEC FOUNDATION
The Capitec Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation, focusing on a ‘whole school’ approach to strengthen mathematics education in South Africa. It aims to create a brighter future for young people by enabling more learners access to tertiary education opportunities and employability. The elements of the approach include school leadership development, in-service mathematics teacher development, a mathematics programme delivered via technology hubs that support digitally enabled learning, face-to-face maths tutoring and psychosocial support to build confidence. Future mathematics teachers are supported through personal and professional coaching and a platform for experiential learning. Find out more at www.capitecbank.co.za/csi/
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