Nobody can argue that plenty has changed in the last century. Automation, digitisation and the internet have accelerated progress, radically altering practically every aspect of the way we live our lives. Sadly, the current education system is not one of them. The pre-digital modes of learning that still shape the schooling experience of today have proven stubbornly resistant to change, but the advent of digitally enabled assisted learning platforms like Top Dog Education are set to change everything.
As educational specialists ourselves, we know better than most the critical importance that the role of a teacher holds in preparing our youth to triumph in the face of a challenging future. But many teachers, particularly in the South African context, are facing an uphill battle in which digital assisted learning could well turn out to be their new secret weapon.
Overcrowding, poor compensation and a lack of resources severely limit the attention and energy that educators can devote to students on an individual basis – particularly those who learn at a different pace to their peers, or fail to grasp important concepts the first time around.
Today, however, online educational tools are giving parents, students and teachers alike the power to augment and improve the learning experience far beyond what is possible in the classroom environment alone. And when implemented correctly, the combination of school and personalised online learning has consistently shown itself to be one of the most effective ways to achieve outstanding results.
Now, we’re not predicting that automation and digitisation will lead to the redundancy of teachers or the schooling system at large. Quite the opposite, actually. Rather than being in competition, it is our view that the current schooling system and the increasing popularity of platforms like Top Dog Education can, and should, go hand-in-hand as we address educational shortcomings, on both the individual and national levels.
Our platform has grown to become an essential learning tool both in the homes of learners and their classrooms. Teachers benefit from affordable and readily available resources for top quality curricular content, developed by the expert teachers and educational psychologists we work with. While students benefit from the adaptive and self-paced learning model that makes learning at home more engaging and more effective.
Schools aren’t redundant, but most would agree that they could definitely use a helping hand. Top Dog Education seeks to enhance the way our children learn, not replace it – and with greater internet penetration in South Africa than ever before, digital is the perfect medium to get the ball rolling.
