On 18 August 2010 Coega and Vodacom showcased a digital data pen system sometimes known as electronic pen to 24 education development officers from five Eastern Cape Education districts at the East London Education Institute.
It is believed that an increase in the classroom contact time for teaching and learning has a positive impact on the pass rate. The department has requested Coega to assist in the implementation of the projects to improve education system in the Eastern Cape.
The digital data pen looks and works just like an ordinary pen but capture handwriting and drawings from paper forms almost immediately to the server at Education head office, Zwelitsha. The "magic pen" will assist the EDOs to transmit attendance register data from schools to the head office in less than ten seconds.
Siyabonga Simayi, Manager from Coega indicated that this was a pilot project that will assist the department in their management functions without additional work. He said that there are three phases to the project.
First phase will be proof to see if the device is working according to design specification and will be piloted in the lowest performing districts. These districts include Qumbu, Cofimvaba, Butterworth, Mbizana and Fort Beaufort. He said if success has been achieved in phase one, further phases can be rolled to other Education districts and can include learners as well.
According to Simayi, this will shorten the time for the information to reach Zwelitsha. The data can then be analysed for patterns of teacher and learner attendance and mitigation action be taken. The device connected to global positioning system (GPS) will coordinate schools and ensure that the EDOs periodically monitor allocated schools.
"There will be no extra work required for EDOs and schools if 'the magic pen' could be implemented by the department," said said Ntsikelelo Vazi, Director of Institutional Management from the Eastern Cape Department of Education. However, it shortens the time information that could have been received after a month to almost less than 10 seconds," added Vazi.
Kholekile Mbanga from Vodacom demonstrated step by step how user friendly the pen is by switching on until information transfer.
The magic pen has the following features:
- it is a pen-like digital device with a cap
- it has a battery
- it has four coloured lights on it
- red: battery very low
- yellow: charged less than 50 percent
- green: fully charged
- blue: connected to bluetooth.
The pen cap:
- when on, it is deactivated
when off, it is activated - it has an infrared camera
- it has a charger
- it has a memory of 40 a4 pages
- it has ink refills
- it has bluetooth
- the pen vibrates when activated.
"The magic pen" if used correctly, can be hugely advantageous to the Education Department, for example:
- it will save education development officers time and transport costs
- it will save on a lot of paper work
- no information will be misplaced
- reduces human error in data capturing
- due dates will be met
- statistics will be gathered easily
- other problem areas will be identified quicker
- it will improve on turn-around times in submitting information.
The pilot has been launched and distributed for trial, and if looked at in a positive light, this could be one of the ways in helping the Eastern Cape Department of Educationexcel in their performance.
Source: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
