Funzi / TVET pilot project shows benefits of blended learning

Funzi, together with its partner Excel, Inc., set up a blended learning pilot project with Boland College - a Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) institute in South Africa. The project aimed to test the effectiveness of combining an online Funzi course with traditional in-class instruction. Students and teachers praised the effectiveness of the blended learning method and hoped it would soon be widely implemented in their school.

The project and the course

In the two-week pilot project, students were divided into two groups: one group consisted of students with disabilities, the other of non-disabled students. Both groups used mobile phones to study from Funzi’s ‘Get that Job’ course during their class time. Teachers then used the course, as well as a teacher’s guide and discussion questions provided by Funzi, as a base for their in-class instruction. A key focus was to teach the students ‘soft skills’ that they wouldn’t ordinarily get from their technically-focused education.

The ‘Get that job’ course selected for the pilot project was the topic of recently-published research from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. The research showed that the course provided South African students with the employment-related knowledge, skills, and motivation needed to find a job. The direct, positive feedback from Boland College students and teachers further confirmed these results.

Benefit to students

Above all, the students found the content useful, interesting, and beneficial to helping them land a job. They also enjoyed learning from their mobile phones and said that the experience would be a nice gateway to further digital learning. Furthermore, the course was a cost-effective alternative to a textbook, which is an added expense and a barrier to learning for many students in South Africa. 

The blended learning method helped in the students’ personal growth and development. According to one teacher, it ‘provided the students with a sense of independence and personal responsibility. Although the training was facilitated and provided in a group setting, the students were responsible for following along on their own and could set their own pace if they chose.’

One especially encouraging result came from the group of disabled students. Students in this group had a range of visual, physical, and mental disabilities. In many countries, such students are marginalized and put at an educational disadvantage. However, the course worked just as well for the disabled group as the non-disabled group. This shows the positive role that blended and digital learning can play in bringing high-quality education to marginalized and disadvantaged groups.

Benefit to teachers

The teachers also saw great promise in using the blended learning model with Funzi courses. They liked the flexibility and structure that mobile learning afforded them. They found the teacher’s course guide and discussion questions helpful in steering the discussions and discovering the content the students found most useful. They also said that, as the students needed only their phones and an internet connection, the set-up for the training was effortless. Furthermore, they even saved time and money by not having to print out the material. Load-shedding - the temporary shutdown of electric power (and therefore many internet connections) when demand on a system is too high - is a frustrating problem in South Africa. However, students were able to get around this by using mobile hotspots as internet connections.

Like the students, the teachers praised the relevance and usefulness of the content. The teacher of the disabled group of students said, ‘This course was helpful in preparing them for their job search and guiding them through the process of applying for work. I could also relate the course content to their lives through real-world examples of challenges they have faced in their job search.’

One challenge the teachers faced was that students, when given access to the internet, often wanted to check their social media accounts. However, this was only a minor inconvenience as it meant that teachers had to be strict about directing the students’ focus to the task at hand. One teacher recommended having an assistant present for larger groups.

The future of blended learning

Sustainable Development Goal 4 as set out by the United Nations General Assembly aims to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’. By 2030, it hopes to ‘substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship.’ Flexible and blended learning approaches will play a key role in helping to achieve these targets, especially for those without easy access to traditional education.

The success of the Funzi/Boland College pilot study shows how blended learning can improve the quality of education for learning institutions in developing countries. This may be especially true when developing 21st century soft skills to supplement the technical skills they traditionally receive through their colleges. 

Aape Pohjavirta, Funzi’s Founder and President, says, ‘We are very happy with the results of the pilot with Boland College. We have been developing a blended learning pedagogy for Funzi courses for a few years and are slowly starting to use it in broader implementations. The feedback from Boland College shows us that we are on the right track and that mobile learning can actually empower the flipped classroom approach.’

More information about the project:

Aape Pohjavirta – Founder & President
[email protected]

Kreeta Savet – Project Manager
[email protected]

Click here to download the press release in PDF.